The Elementalists
by Konoha's Black Dragon
Summary: Three orphans become best friends and become ninja together. They are known as Konoha's prank squad. Rated M for death, gore, language, suggestive themes, and a possibility of lemons.
1. Beginings

I don't own Naruto, I never have and very likely never will.

* * *

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

"**Demon/summon speaking"**

I looked around the classroom at all the excited wannabe genins. They were all talking about what they were going to do after they pass the test; how they were going to become famous ninja. I shook my head at them. How naïve. The test wasn't very hard true, but there was a secondary test that two thirds of those that pass today will fail.

Who am I? The name's Erik. No surname, well no known surname. I grew up in the orphanage with my friends, Tenten (who also didn't have a surname) and Naruto Uzumaki, until it got so bad for him the Hokage moved him into his own apartment. Shortly after that Tenten got adopted, leaving me. I didn't mind too much because they never left me alone long enough to be lonely.

I looked over to where they were sitting in the front row waiting for Iruka, our instructor, to enter and start the tests. Their heated discussion went in circles as neither wanted to lose the argument but neither had a point strong enough to force the other to concede. I shook my head at them, the argument was about if long range weapons were better than fists in a fight and had been going on for the better part of the last year we had been together. I personally believed the argument was also for them to show the other how special they are because they both had crushes on the other but were too afraid of the possible fallout of telling and finding out the other didn't feel the same way to tell the other. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the situation but had decided to let them find out on their own.

We were known as Konoha's prank squad. I am the architect, with Tenten being our material gatherer as she was adopted by a blacksmith and most of the necessities were readily available for her, and Naruto being the executer. The extent to which he could go with a prank constantly astounded everyone. Even Tenten and myself. Painting the Hokage monument? That was only planed for one face, but then he goes and paints all four without being noticed until he desides he's done. Then he goes and leads the Anbu black-opps on a merry four hour chase before giving them the slip, only to be caught by Iruka of all people. His endurance was amazing and totally unheard of. I constantly teased Tenten about her crush for him, and reminded her that his endurance could transfer to bedroom activities. She never managed to think of a comeback (normally she passes out of a nosebleed or blushes a color of red that would do Hinata proud).

Iruka opened the door and entered the room, going to his desk, making sure everything was ready for the exams.

'Finally showing up, I wonder what kept you_. _Or should I ask who.'

For those who were observant Anko showed an abnormal (for her) amount of caring for the teacher, as he is one of the few how looked past the fact she was the pupil of a rouge ninja.

He turned around and attempted to quiet the class. Once, twice, and what do you know third time really is a charm, especially when the infamous Deamon Head Jutsu is used.

"Shut the hell up!" Instantly silence reigned.

"Now class, as you all know today is the day you may become genin. The exam you will be taking is split up into three parts. The first part, which you will be taking shortly, will be a written test…"

I zoned out as I had heard this particular speech before. It's the same as the one he gave last year and the year before. Naruto and I were taking the test for the third time and this was Tenten's second. We had all failed the clone technique, and were sent back to final year, again. Tenten, with the use of a seal had managed to get her chakra control high enough to make a clone. Naruto had all his fingers and toes crossed that the clone would not be part of this year's exam despite the fact it was on the test at least two years running. My plan was do what Lee did last year. Excel in one area to a chunin skill level. Except where he picked taijutsu, I was going for sword mastery. Last year I found out that when I had been left at the orphanage, a scroll had been left with me with instructions saying to give it to me when I turned fourteen. Turns out it was a sword style my brother had made (the author of the scroll claimed to be my brother, you'd think that it would be a parent to leave someone at the orphanage but maybe not) called maelstrom (it also had an accompanying taijutsu style in case you didn't have a weapon). It was all about hitting hard, hitting fast, and leaving the enemy no room to attack. Otherwise saying, perfect for me, as it fit the way I like to fight. One hard hit placed right will end a fight before it starts.

I looked down at the test before me and answered the questions surprised by how easy they were this time around. Then again, everything was easy for me this time. The last two years, I had contended with Naruto for title of dead last, but this year something clicked and everything made sense. I was now contending with Sasuke Uchiha for the Top Rookie spot, something his legion of fan girls were not happy about. That was one of the perks of being an orphan; no one could give a rats ass about you. Except for old man Hokage, Naruto's and my special title for him. He cares for everyone in the village.

I finished the test and handed it in to Iruka who looked at me with pride. Naruto and I had been pet projects for him. He poured his life into us these last few years, helping us with everything. I smiled at him in thanks, before walking towards the door. I stopped in front of where Naruto and Tenten were sitting and after tapping on the table to get their attention; I smiled encouragingly at them, then turned and left the room. As I was leaving I noticed Naruto reach forward to grab the front edge of the desk as if to pull the answers from the desk. Really he was covering the note I had left them with answers on it to help them pass.

'Like I would leave my friends behind. Sorry Iruka, but ninja cheat.'

I smiled as I headed out to the field where the next part of the exam would take place.

* * *

I was jerked awake by Tenten's voice whispering in my ear, "Thanks for the answers Erik-kun."

"Like I would leave you on your own. Hey, maybe with a perfect test score Naruto will be able to pass without the clone! After all blondes need all the help they can get."

Tenten giggled at my prod at Naruto while he scowled. "Your one to talk blond."

We continued our discussion of the test while Mizuki droned on about how we were going to spar against our classmates, and how the teachers would deside if we passed on how well we fought. Been there, done that, wiped the floor with the competition two years running. The only one who could beat me was Naruto, and only on a good day for him.

"Tenten verses Sakura Haruno." Iruka called out. As she headed to the ring we called out encouragements.

"Kick her ass!"

"Show her what being a ninja is really about!"

"Tie her up with that pink wig she calls hair!" (None of us believed hair could be that color naturally.)

She waved at us as she entered the ring and after Mizuki called the start of the match, Tenten had Sakura gagged and her ankles and wrists lashed together in all of ten seconds.

Our encouragements turned to congratulations even though we knew there a snowball's chance in hell a fan girl could beat Tenten.

Tenten, come back here and untie Sakura." Shouted Mizuki, furious that the student he had favored had been destroyed by a girl he considered worse than dirt.

"Why should I? Get Sasuke to do it."

"Why should I untie her?" Sasuke asked, not really caring for an answer, just trying to get rid of a few fan girls. Not that I blame him, I would only wish fan girls on my worst enemies, and even then not in the numbers the Uchiha has.

"Because she's a lady in trouble and you're a kind gentleman. Otherwise saying, she's your fan girl."

He didn't really have a come back to that, and after searching for another excuse he came up empty handed and was forced to untie her to protect the Uchiha name.

Several more matches fallowed before Naruto was called to fight Kiba. An easy match except for one thing. It was two on one, and that sort of tilted the playing field back to level for the Inuzuka. Some but not enough to change the outcome. Naruto won like we knew he would.

It was getting close to noon when they called the final match.

"Now boys and girls, the moment you have all been waiting for, the top two members of your class will have the final spar. Sasuke Uchiha with a 98.4 final average." Cheers were raised for the last Uchiha, partially because such a high final grade was rare.

"He will be facing Erik who has a 98.5 final." Two voices raised cheers that almost rivaled Sasuke's cheer in volume. Everyone else was thinking; _He had a better score than Sasuke! _(His fan girls added, _he must have cheated_, funny thing is they were right, but again ninja aren't above anything, even cheating off allies.)

"How dare you get a better score than me, I am an Uchiha!" He shouted while charging at me.

"We know you're an Uchiha, the whole village won't stop kissing your ass." I returned dodging a sloppy punch.

Enraged he yelled at me as he lashed out sideways at me with his foot.

'Finally a chance to show this bastard that names mean nothing'_._

Smirking I slid to my right catching the back of his ankle in my left hand while bringing my right hand around, driving the heal of my hand into his knee.

CRACK

The field was silent other than the cheers of Naruto and Tenten, and the amazingly high pitched scream of Sasuke. I flinched as his scream hurt my ears, so, covering them, I walked over to were his head was and delivered a kick to his temple to shut him up.

"Men don't scream with a voice like that unless they've been punched in the balls." I commented as I left the ring ignoring the banshee yells from the fan girls about how dare I show up _Sasuke-kun._

I let the congratulations of my friends' sooth my nerves as I mentally prepared for the ninjutsu part of the exam.

* * *

Tenten passed her exam, big surprise. The clone tripped both Naruto and me up. However my skills with a sword got me my forehead protector.

We sat outside in the shade of a cherry tree talking about how we could convince Iruka to pass Naruto, when Mizuki walked up to us.

"Naruto could I talk to you in private real quick?"

"Ah, sure, I guess." He said getting up and walking off a ways with Mizuki. I motioned Tenten to be silent as I tilted my head to hear what was said (it pays off to have abnormally strong hearing).

"…there is another way to pass, right?" I smiled at this, and at my smile Tenten smiled.

"Really? Tell me!"

Mizuki smiled at him, "All you have to do is sneak into the Hokage tower, steal the forbidden scroll, and learn a jutsu out of it. Meat Iruka in the clearing by the old woodcutter's hut in the forest to show him the jutsu at two tomorrow morning. Remember, you can't tell anyone about this or you won't be allowed to become a ninja ever."

Naruto snapped off a salute, "Will do, sir." Then he turned around and walked over to us.

"Well?" Tenten asked, seeing his smile.

"I will pass yet."

Upon seeing his conviction I pushed aside my uneasy fealling about this. 'After all we could always just say that Mizuki used Naruto.'

"Why don't we get some ramen to celebrate?"

Instantly I found myself being dragged along as Naruto headed to Ichiraku's Ramen stand.

'Naruto you never change.' I shook my head as I checked my wallet when we got there.

"Only two bowls, okay Naruto." Tenten said after checking her wallet. Tenten and I usually paid when we went out as a group as Naruto had to pay for clothes, gear, and his apartment from the small stipend the Hokage gave him.

He nodded before shouting, "Hey Old Man, two miso ramen please."

"What will you two be having?"

"One shrimp ramen please."

"One pork," I said, sliding into the seat on Naruto's right side, while Tenten sat on his left. Their chatter rolled of me as I sat there thinking about Mizuki. I was half tempted to turn him in, but for all I knew there was an advanced clone in the forbidden scroll that could pass Naruto.

I was dragged out of my thoughts by a question directed my way by Ayame.

"Sorry, what was that? My mind was elsewhere."

Ayame giggled then asked again, "Don't you think Naruto-kun and Tenten-chan would make a cute couple?"

"They would make a very cute couple, especially if they weren't so blind as to see they both like each other."

Silence reigned over the little restaurant as the three looked at me. Luckily I was saved from explaining myself as the ramen arrived and we all dug in.

After dinner we left and the other two took up conversation again, carefully avoiding talking about my comment. I was thankful at the lack of descusion on that topic, as I wasn't sure I liked the idea of my best friends dating each other. I guided us to Naruto's place first. Enough beatings had happened that we always walked Naruto home. Tenten's dad had made us swear that if we were ever out after dark we would escort her home and I was planning to use the time in between to talk to her about Naruto's mission assigned to him by Mizuki. As we said our good nights Tenten suddenly grabbed Naruto in a hug and kissed him on the cheek before darting out into the night. I gave him a wave and left him standing in his doorway stunned by her actions. I chuckled as I jogged to catch up to Tenten.

"How long did you know?" She asked as I started walking beside her.  
"Halfway through last year."

"Was it that obvious?"

"To those who really know you, not really."

"Do you mind?"

"Not really. You two were made for each other. However your love life isn't what I wanted to talk about."

"Oh really, what then."

"Mizuki. He told Naruto that he could pass if he stole the forbidden scroll and learned a jutsu from it."

"But that's forbidden!" she said agast.

"No duh, why do you think it's called the forbidden scroll."

"Because the techniques in there are dangerous to the user."

I rolled my eyes at her response, "You think way too linearly. Anyway, when's the soonest you can sneak out?"

"Why, are we going to go pranking?"

"You could say that."

She thought for a bit before responding, "Around midnight."

"I'll be waiting. Bring your gear."

She grinned before walking up to her house and waving a good night she left me to my thoughts. Smiling I walked off singing, "Blue eyed boy meets brown eyed girl.."(1)

* * *

(1) Sweetest Thing by U2

I will probably update this story more often than my other, but I will try to update both at least once every two weeks, school work alowing.

The more reviews I get the better the story will be. So please review.


	2. The cat, er fox, comes out of the bag

I sat in the shadow of a roof across the street from Tenten's house waiting for midnight to roll around. I had tried to find something to do at the orphanage, however nothing had struck my fancy to do while I wait and from past experience I knew it was just easier to stay out than to sneak out. So here I am doing an activity that could be described as stalking. I hope Tenten doesn't mind or I will have a great time practicing my dodging while beating a hasty retreat, or as some like to say, charging in the other direction.

My musings were cut short at the sound of a window opening. I turned my head to Tenten's window and watched her slide out. She crouched on her sill for a moment before I attracted her attention. She jumped over to where I was sitting.

"So what we going to do?"

"We're going to find Naruto and help him learn a jutsu."

"Really, that's it? And here I was expecting us to go and prank the village with something like an explosion in the middle of the night or painting the Hokage tower like a brothel."(1)

I gave her a look at the last one. Leave it to the girl to be a pervert.

"Considering how many people don't want to see Naruto become a ninja, I think this will be a fairly good prank."

With that I got up and started running through the shadows, working my way out of the village, with Tenten hot on my heals. Soon we got to the old woodcutter's hut.

"So, what are we going to do now?"

I sat down in the shadows, becoming nearly invisible in my dark clothing, and when Tenten turned around to look for me after looking over the clearing she couldn't find me. I was amused by her somewhat frantic searching, so I sat and let her look like a fool for a minute or so before striking a match to get her attention, only to have the flame taken off with a kunai.

"I swear you could take the wings off a fly at a hundred yards, you weren't even facing me!"

"Next time you do that, it'll be your jewels being hit, not the match."

I paled at the idea.

"Hm, looks like I have about two hours or so before Iruka-sensei shows up."

Our attention was turned to Naruto, whose sudden arrival took us by surprise.

Tenten was fed up with being surprised by blonds and took it out on poor Naruto.

"What the hell is up with you people just showing up everywhere without anyone noticing! It's like it's a bloodline you two have!"

Naruto, being who he is, only heard the word bloodline in her protest to our awesomeness.

"You really think so? Ha! In your face, you bastards! That's right, I've got a bloodline!"

I quickly stepped in to save Naruto from his own stupidity, and Tenten's wrath.

"I thought you had to learn a jutsu from that scroll to pass, not brag about the possibility of a bloodline."

"He, he. Your right. Let's learn a jutsu!"

And with that he unrolled the scroll with a flourish only to let loose a scream in frustration.

"Why can't I get away from clones? It's like they stalk me!" sigh, "Might as well try and learn this technique, then I'll at least have learned a clone."

I leaned close to Tenten and whispered, "Sometimes I wonder if he's bipolar or something. It's unnatural how fast his moods can swing."

She nodded at my statement as we watched Naruto read the scroll.

"Alright, let's try this thing out! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

With a puff of smoke, three more Narutos appeared, however it was possible to find the real one because he was the only one that looked healthy.

"Man Naruto, these clones of yours sure are ugly!" I said poking one on it's forehead. To my amazement, I actually felt the clone.

"Wait, these are tangible!"

"That's why I bothered to work on it. Amazing huh."

I shook my head in wonder, "Imagine if one could apply that to a kunai or a shuriken."

"That's actually the nest jutsu on the scroll."

Tenten's eyes glazed over at the thought of being able to throw more weapons faster. Suddenly I felt worried at the possible repercussions of pissing her off, which I had found an amusing pastime in the past.

Seeing that Naruto had abandoned the scroll, I grabbed it and began searching for a jutsu to learn. As I read further down the scroll, I was amazed at the high level all the jutsus were. There was nothing short of a B rank in the scroll and most were A if not S rank. I settled on an A rank fuuinjutsu that was supposed to make the wearer resistant or impervious to elemental jutsus depending on the skill with seals the applier has. It was declared forbidden because of the mental strain the technique put on wearers, for it to negate the jutsus.

"Elemental Defender Fuuinjutsu. Sounds interesting." I mused as I copied down the seal designs so I could practice (and possibly edit) them later.

"Tenten, your turn." I called out. Not receiving a reply I looked up to see Naruto practicing the Shadow Clone jutsu, summoning and dismissing about five at a time.

"She disappeared with one of my clones a while back," he said.

Sighing I got up to look for her. "Did you see which direction she went in?"

Naruto gestured and I left the clearing looking for our missing friend. After awhile I started to hear noises slightly to the right of the direction I was heading in. Suddenly I came upon the back of Naruto's clone. Upon looking closer I realized that the clone was kissing Tenten.

I punched the clone, dispelling it, much to Tenten's disapproval, only to find out that Tenten had taken off her shirt.

"Really? Why did you do that?" She asked pouting, crossing her arms beneath her breasts, which she didn't seem to care that I was looking at. At my lack of a response, she waved her hand in front of my face, saying, "Hello, earth to Erik. Anyone home?"

I wordlessly handed the forbidden scroll to her, not able to take my eyes off her breasts.

"Like them that much?" She asked finally noticing what I was staring at. I nodded.

"Well to bad!" She said, hitting me upside the head with the scroll.

I lay dazed in the leaf litter, trying to figure out why I was now staring at the stars instead of Tenten, when said person appeared in my line of sight.

"Next time you want to stare, ask first. Okay?" She said, offering her hand to help me up. I tried not to stare this time as she hadn't put her shirt back on yet. Little did she know, the image of her without her shirt would be burned into my memory forever.

I watched her put on her shirt (this time from behind that way she wouldn't notice) and grab the scoll.

"Come on, let's get back to Naruto-kun, shall we?"

When we got back to the woodcutter's hut, we found Naruto passed out in a pool of blood, with a trail leading to his nose.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that memories transfer."

"You mean he…"

At my nod she blushed a dark shade of red, much to my amusement.

"Come on, you need to find a jutsu and learn it quickly, there's only six minutes or so before Iruka's supposed to show."

Still blushing she opened the scroll up to the shuriken shadow clone jutsu and set about learning it.

"You've really done it this time Nar… what are you two doing here?"

We turned to find a pissed off and slightly confused Iruka.

"Do you think we would let Naruto take the retest by himself did you?" I asked, attempting to get the subject off the forbidden scroll before it even got there.

"Retest? There's no retest."

"Well, well, well. Look what we got here." Mizuki's voice pierced the clearing. "The demon brat, the bitch with who has a fetish for weapons, and Erik… there was so much potential in you before you began hanging out with these losers."

"I've been hanging out with these 'losers' sence before you knew me, so what you said was totally irrelevant."

Naruto being lost in the discussion decided to put it on a track he could understand. "Mizuki-sensei, I got the scroll and learned a jutsu just like you said I had to. So do I pass now?"

'Thank you Naruto' I thought as Iruka's anger became palpable.

"You told him to steal the scroll, and made him think it was a second way to pass? You know what the price of treason is. Prepare to pay it, bastard!"

Mizuki merely laughed. "You think that you can stop me? Don't make me laugh. I'll take the scroll to Orochimaru-sama and he'll reward me greatly for ridding the world of the fox!"

"Mizuki, don't. It's forbidden!" Iruka said his eyes wide at what Mizuki said.

"Naruto you ever wondered why everyone hates you? All that anger and hate is not for a poor boy, oh no, it's for the Nine Tailed Fox Demon. That's right, you're the Kyuubi, who slaughtered so many that night, thirteen years ago."

I burst out laughing at that. "You believe Naruto is the Kyuubi? I haven't heard a more ridiculous idea! Naruto would never hurt anyone that didn't first endanger a friend of his, let alone be able to slaughter hundreds without remorse. Not to mention the fact that the only features that he has that even remotely look fox like are the wisker like birth marks on his cheeks. Not that Tenten would mind if the fox gave him some furry appendages.(At this Tenten's eyes glazed over and she suffered a minor nosebleed.) Even if he was the Kyuubi, he is my friend and as such I would never allow you to kill him."

"You think you can stop me?" Mizuki sneered.

"Yes," Tenten answered, "because it won't just be him. You'll have to go through myself as well!"

Suddenly I found myself ingulfed in a hug, with Tenten squeezed up to my side, from behind. "Thanks guys, this means a lot to me."

I jumped backwards, nocking over all three of us to dodge a shuriken thrown by Mizuki, before rolling off the pile and saying, "You can hug Tenten all you want after this fight, but for now concentrate on the fight, so I don't have to explain to anyone that you died because you got to wrapped up in hugging on the battlefield. Now let's help out Iruka-sensei, shall we?"

They blushed at my statement, before adopting a serious attitude.

Suddenly Iruka was sent flying from a kick.

"That's the best you got Iruka? All those years of teaching really made you soft."

Before he could say anything more, he was forced to start dodging if he didn't want to turn into a piece of swiss cheese.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Tenten shouted, throwing a handful of the metal stars. The handful turned into a hundred, much to the shock of everyone present. I turned to her and saw her panting like she had just ran a mile.

"Too much chakra. Don't tier yourself out in the first minute."

She nodded, to out of breath to comment.

I turned back to the battle as Mizuki escaped the last of the shuriken. More than a few cuts showed on his figure, bearing mute testament to Tenten's skill at throwing.

"So the bitch actually might be able to back up her claim." Mizuki mused, slightly out of breath from the fancy footwork he had to employ to dodge.

Suddenly a wave of killer intent washed over the clearing.

"What did you call Tenten-chan?" Naruto shouted. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Suddenly Naruto was as common as grains of sand at a beach, then they all began speaking at the same time, "NO ONE INSULTS MY GIRLFRIEND AND GETS AWAY WITH IT! PREPARE TO DIE!"

All two hundred or so Naruto clones jumped at a now very scared Mizuki. All with the intent to do what the villagers have been trying to do to Naruto for the last thirteen years, beat him to death.

Two minutes later Naruto stood before Iruka, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Hehe, kinda got carried away there."

Iruka nodded mutely, staring at the still form that was Mizuki. Mizuki was covered in bruses and blood, and his limbs were skewed at odd angles that told of multitudes of broken bones.

"Hey Naruto, close your eyes a minute."

"Huh? Okay"

We watched as Iruka took off his forehead protector and placed it on Naruto, both of us happy that we did what we could to get our friend to pass.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Naruto opened his eyes and saw a smiling Iruka without his forehead protector. Confused Naruto's hand flew up to his forehead, where he found his goggles missing, and in their place was Iruka's forehead protector. He grinned, then tackled Iruka in a hug.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei!"

Bouncing up he ran at Tenten and me, his arms held wide open for a hug. Ducking I avoided the hug and looked up in time to see Naruto tackle Tenten and land in a compromising position as they hugged.

'Blakemail!' I thought watching them. Pulling out a camera, I snapped a picture, to the embarrassment of the two.

Smiling, Naruto helped Tenten up, as Iruka called to us, "If your quite done over there, why don't we get some ramen? My treat."

We all walked, tiered as we were from being up all night then fighting a chunin level traitor. As we walked I noticed that Naruto never let go of Tenten's hand from when he helped her up after the hug.

Smiling I started humming Sweetest Thing. Iruka recognized the tune and joined in after noticing the hand holding. They were to wrapped up in their own world to notice.

* * *

About the song, I listen to mostly classic rock so I heard it many times growing up, so when I found out that Tenten had chocolate colored eyes I imeadiatly heard the song in my head. After that I knew I would write a Naruto/Tenten pairing.


	3. The real test

I winced at the sunlight streaming in the window.

'Morning already? But I feal like I just fell asleap.'

We probably celebrated too hard last night. Tenten's dad had introduced us to beer, since we were now considered adults by the community. Old enough to kill, old enough to drink, old enough to fuck, he said. So we drank. A lot. I wound up drinking them all under the table and was feeling it now.

Suddenly a class of water appeared on the table in front of me. I looked up to see a happy Naruto bouncing around the kitchen making… something. It wasn't ramen, but I wasn't feeling up to figuring out what.

"How can you be that enthusiastic? You drank nearly as much as I did." I reached out and grabbed the glass, downing the water in one go. I felt a little better, but not much.

As he walked over with a plate for me a smell hit my nose.

'Lucky bastard, nailing Tenten, while her father was passed out of drink.'

"Go shower, now."

He looked at me. "Why?"

"You smell of sex, and unless you want an overly protective father trying to kill you first thing in the morning, you will go shower."

He looked at the sleeping form of Tenten's dad. He was passed out in a pool of drool, with a mostly empty bottle in his hand.

Just then Tenten came down the stairs, looking like how I felt.

"Morning comes way too soon." She muttered as she sat down at the table.

Naruto was merrily humming as he set a plate down in front of her, which she ignored for the glass of water he put next to it.

"I know last night was fun, but there is no way you can be that happy." She said looking him over.

"I believe the damn fox drank the alchohol for him. He's just not feeling anything from drinking till he passed out. You meanwhile look about as alive as I feel. And you smell of sex."

She had the decency to blush unlike Naruto, who just wore his infamous fox grin, which could scare hardened Ambu into crying for their mother. (Actually happened ,and yah, it was weird.)

"Both of you go shower."

"But I don't feel like going up the stairs after I just came down them." She muttered rebelliously.

Naruto decided to be of assistance to her and picked her up bridal style and carried her up the stairs.

'Now he's going to shower with her, lucky bastard. Note to self, don't let them get anywhere near that drunk, ever."

I grabbed my fork and scooped up some of the breakfast Naruto cooked. I imeatiatly spat it out upon tasting it.

'Note, never let Naruto cook.'

I got up and grabbed the plates, scraping off the stuff into the garbage. After putting the plates into the sink, I looked into the fridge for something to cook.

Fifteen minutes later a real breakfast was sitting on the table as I set about cleaning the kitchen.

"Something smells good."

I looked over my shoulder at the two, now decent looking, individuals who were sitting down at the table. Finishing up, I dried my hands then went to get a shower myself.

I leaned up against the wall waiting for Tenten to lock the door.

"Alright let's go find out the rest of our future!" Tenten cheered, much more refreshed from the shower than I was.

"Quieter please, some of us are still hung-over." I said, sipping from my waterbottle.

"Sorry. You know what, you're the only person I've met who could drink my dad under the table."

"Thanks, I guess."

We walked quietly to the acadamey, each of us in the company of our own thoughts.

When we got there, I was amazed by how few of our classmates where there. I glanced at the clock as we sat in the front row.

'Ten minutes. I wonder how many are going to be late to the team assignments. Are any going to skip from hangovers?'

I winced as the door banged open and most of the class walked in talking excitedly.

'Talking that loud can get you killed.' I considered telling them such but decide against it in favor of trying to sleep off my hangover.

It wasn't until later that I noticed no one bothered Naruto about being there.

Right as ten o'clock came around Iruka came in and started talking, or so I was told later by Naruto. I was happily asleep.

I woke up with Tenten shaking my shoulder.

"Come on, we need to go meat with our sensei on the roof."

"Who?" I asked as I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

"Some junin named Anko." Naruto commented as he held open the door for Tenten as they left.

Grumbling about ungrateful wretches I got up and followed.

* * *

"Hello handsome." A voice whispered in my ear as I stepped out onto the roof.

"Not in the mood, Anko." I sighed, rubbing my temples, wishing I had the fox to get rid of the alchohol in my system

"Ah, what's the matter? Wake up on the wrong side of a hangover to find you best friends screwed each other all night long?" She asked with mock concern.

"Pretty much, but you forgot the part about the reason they're not dead is because I drank her father under the table."

Anko for once was speechless, blinking at me like an owl awoken at noon. She looked over to where Tenten was sitting in Naruto's lap laughing at something he said.

"Aren't they too young to be having sex?"

"I'm hurt; you didn't care about my age when you scared me that one night when you got to drunk."

She gave me a predatory grin, "You know you liked it."

Shrugging I walked over to where my friends were and flopped into the bench opposite them.

"How nice of you to show up. Now that we're all here why don't we introduce ourselves?" She said sitting in a bench that faced ours'. "What my name is doesn't matter as you'll be calling me Anko-sensei or Anko-sama. My likes are dango, red bean soup, sake, Erik-kun, and snakes. My hobbies, are torturing traitors and others that break the law, messing with little children's heads (here she gave me an evil grin), and training. My dislikes are traitors, idiots, sexists, and my sensei. My goal is to prove to everyone I am not my sensei. Your turn girly."

Tenten though a moment before starting, "My name is Tenten Johnson (I decided to just use the name I gave her father for her last name as I couldn't find an actual surname for her). My likes are my Erik-kun, my father, our shop, and Naruto-kun." Here they shared a smile, before I interrupted them with a cough. "My hobbies are training, watching the shop, watching my father smith, and hanging out with my friends. My dislikes, are sexists, traitors, idiots who can't tell the diference between a scroll with a storage seal and the kunai inside it, and Jiraiya, the perv." Anko blinked at this. "My goal is to prove that women can be just as strong as men if not stronger, then settle down and have a family with Naruto-kun."

"Why don't you like Jiraiya-sama?" Anko asked, confused as to why someone would not like her favorite author.

"His books are horrible. They are merely sex scenes with the tiniest hint of plot to connect them."

'She's got a point.'

"It doesn't help his case any that my dad was to pussy to give me the talk and instead gave me one of his books to read."

'That explains a few things.'

Anko sat contemplating what Tenten said, "You've got a point. Whatever, your turn blondie."

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. My likes are ramen, Tenten-chan, ramen, Erik, and uh… ramen! My hobbies are training, and hanging out with my friends. My dislikes are the same as Tenten-chan's. My goal is to become the next Hokage and then have a family with Tenten-chan. Believe it!"

"Not so loud, damnit. Not all of us can avoid hangovers." I complained.

Suddenly Anko grabbed me in a hug from behind, pressing her breasts into my back as she said, "Your turn, Erik-kuuun." Then she swung herself around the bench and flopped into my lap, arching her back to give me a good view of her breasts.

Sighing I said, "My name is Erik. My likes are my friends, good food, Champaign, and books. My hobbies are reading, practicing seals, playing shogi, and hanging out with my friends. My dislikes are the same as Tenten's, plus I hate the civilian council. I don't really have a goal."

Tenten looked at me and asked, "Why don't you like the council?"

"Erik-kun here has a bloodline and the council is trying to put him on the CRA." Anko answered for me. "The CRA, or Clan Restoration Act, allows those who are the last of their clan, or carry a bloodline, to have multiple wives."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at this, "And you call me a lucky bastard why?"

"Because you have a girl that loves you."

"What about me?"Anko pouted.

"You lust for me, you don't love me."

She continued pouting as she couldn't deny my claim. Deciding to get me back for that coment, she leaned forward, grinding against my now hard member.

"Meet me at training ground 7 tomorrow at 0500 for your exam."

Naruto was pissed at this, "Exam? It took me three years to pass the last exam and now you're telling me I have to take another? Why must we take another exam?"

By this point I was trying to push Anko off my lap and she let me push her forward a little, before pushing back, accentuating her grind.

"Get off me Anko, your twice my age."

"So? Anyway, that test was to see if you're qualified to become genin. This one is the actual test that determines if you become ninja. Oh, and don't eat breakfast, you'll just puke. I'll see you two later."

With that she grabbed me and we disappeared from there sight in a flurry of leaves.

Anko dumped me on her couch and sashayed into the kitchen, making sure to accentuate her hip movement.

"You hungry?" she asked stopping in the door way to look back at me. I almost said no, but my stomach protested, for it had been nearly six hours since I had eaten, so I nodded.

"Then get your butt up and help me make something, then you will eat me out to start off our day together."

"And if I don't want to?"

Suddenly I felt a snake slithering up my pants leg. I jumped up off the couch and ran into the kitchen to cook. I heard Anko laughing as I searched the fridge.

"I thought so," she said, pulling off her shirt.

* * *

Four hours later I stumbled into The Metal Claw smithy and weapons store, to see Tenten behind the counter ordering Naruto around while he cleaned up the shop.

"How you doing?" Tenten asked cheerfully, noticing my arrival.

"You abandoned me with that crazy snake." I accused, grabbing a stool from behind the counter to sit on.

"We couldn't really do that much about it, after all she is a jonin and she used a jutsu we don't know to leave before we could react." Naruto explained.

"What didn't you enjoy her?" Tenten teased.

"It's hard to enjoy anything when there is a snake on your leg ready to bite you in a very tender area if the person you're fucking decides you're not doing a very good job in bed." I said with a glare. Both of them paled at the image I presented them with.

"Is that Erik?" John called from the back. "Tell him I want to see him."

Tenten waved me into the back at that and as I left the shop she continued her conversation with Naruto.

The smithy was separated from the shop and stood completely by itself with at least fifty yards between it and the nearest building in case of a fire. Since John bought the place there hasn't been one but before that they were all too common. John waved me forward to join him as he headed back to the smithy to work.

"What's this about you having a metal affinity?"

"Ever since I was little I could get metal objects to do what I want. I quickly found out that no one else could so I kept quiet about it and never showed anyone it. Word got to the Hokage when one of the Anbu he sent to break up a mob that was after saw me take a kunai to the stomach, just for the blade to dissolve in me healing the wound and leaving the attacker with a handle."

Once we entered the smithy he walked over to a wall, grabbed a bar of metal and handed it to me.

"What is this."

"Iron, a weak iron that flexes a lot but can't keep an edge or work as armor for it's just too weak."

Grabbing another he tossed it to me.

"This is a strong iron, great for hammer heads as it will give more than it takes, but it breaks easily for it doesn't flex much."

He started tossing me bar after bar as I named what each one was.

"Nickle steal, great for swords weilders who wish to channel chakra through their blade. Wind and lightning chakra work especially well."

"Titanium, a hard to get metal great for swords users who don't channel chakra through their blade. However do to its high melting point it works fairly well with fire wielders."

"Brass, in a world of steal it's not much good for anything except throw away weapons."

"Do you figure that out just from your affinity, or do you have other sources?" He asked amazed that I named all of the metals he had by touch.

"Most of it by touch but you can tell different metals apart by weight, as each metal has different densities. Also the colors very if you know what colors to look for, but yes most of it is from my affinity."

He shook his head in wonder at me, "From now on, when you have spare time I want you to come here and work with me. I will teach you how to smith, for with a metal affinity you will be able to go far in the weapons-smithing world. And when you get famous, I'll get famous for being your teacher."

I bowed slightly to him, stunned by his generosity in teaching me how to smith. He hadn't taught Tenten anything, much do her annoyance.

"Thank you sir. I will come by as often as I can."

"I know you will, now go and have some fun with your friends. You never know what tomorrow will bring."

* * *

Please review.


	4. Team 11 Confirmed

Btzz, btzz, brzz, bt-crash!

My fist decided that the alarm I had gotten was more than enough to wake me up, and thus destroyed my latest alarm clock. There went my fourth this month. Violent tendencies don't help anywhere except the battlefield, and unfourtunatly for my wallet, I was a very violent person when angered, like when I am woken up. Honestly I don't use it to much as I wake up before my alarm most mornings, if even by so little that I open my eyes the instant before it goes off. The only reason I have one is mornings like this one, where I have to get up much earlier than usual.

I grumbled about crazy snake ladies and how no one in their right minds gets up this early by choice, as I went about getting dressed and ready for the day.

After I finished getting ready I sealed up all my stuff in a scroll that I had bought the day before.

'I should look into fuuinjutsu more. This is really handy stuff.'

I took a last look around the room where I had lived for the last thirteen years of my life. If I pass the test I won't have a place to stay for awhile, but I could care less right now. I was about to become a ninja! The rest of my life stretched before me like a blank book and I had a pen in my hand.

On the way to the specified training ground, I stopped to grab some breakfast at a place that was open all night and day to serve the shinobi that got sent out or returned at odd hours of the day and were hungry, but were too tired or lazy to make something for themselves.

Getting to the training ground I noticed both of my teammates were already there… in body at least. They both looked half asleep. I shook my head at them with a small smile on my face. Once woken I am fully awake for at least four hours if I get up and move around. Lucky me, poor them; ah well, guess I just need to wake my friends.

I went to the stream and grabbed a couple of cups full of the cold water and went and splashed them in the face with it. I found their reactions hilarious, all the screaming at being woken up with a face full of water and the gasping that comes with the water. They clearly had no sense of humor as for the next five minutes I was chased around the clearing with clones and thrown objects.

"What the hell do you brats think you're doing?" Anko demanded when she arrived.

I ran behind her and said with mock fear, "Anko- sensei, save me from these crazy people who have no sense of humor and can't take a joke."

Anko grinned at this, "Someone finally had the balls to prank you Naruto, huh?"

"Nah, I just decided they needed a wakeup call."

"Whatever, sense this is my first time with a genin squad, I'm going to barrow a test from a fellow jonin. Your objective is these bells." Here she held up two bells much to Naruto and Tenten's confusion. Having accidentally stumbled on Kakashi's test last year, I understood it perfectly. "You may use anything and everything you have to get these bells. You have to noon, if you don't succed you will be sent back to the academy or if I decide you suck that badly you will be kicked out of the ninja program. You may begin."

Naruto and Tenten's eyes widened at the initiation of the test and leapt back into the surrounding forest. I merely looked at the horizon, noting that the sun had just started to show.

'Six fourty ish, she obviously never watched Kakashi give the test.'

As I walked off to find my team I said to her, "Kakashi always starts at nine, you gave us more than two extra hours. Thanks."

She grinned in such a way I started to wonder if the two extra hours were a good thing.

"You're so veerrrry welcome."

At that I decided it wasn't very healthy to be in her presence more than stricktly necisary. Other wise saying, I ran for my life from the crazy lady.

Upon reaching the shelter of the tree line I ducked out of Anko's line of sight before jumping into the trees to find my team.

Ten minutes later we were sitting on a branch as I told them what I knew of the exam.

"This test is about teamwork. The teams that work together would in theory pass."

Tenten interrupted, "In theory?"

"I've never seen a team actually work together." I shrugged. "The whole thing is rigged to divide us, that's why there are only two bells."

"So if we work together we will pass?" Naruto asked incredulous.

"That's not all that easy, we may very well have to fight her until noon. That's a little more than five hours. Naruto, you're the only one who could possibly last that long, as I highly doubt that Tenten has enough dangerous objects to throw that she can keep a jonin busy until noon."

I was met by a very disturbing smile from her.

"I was allowed to clean out the intier store for this so I have enough for all three of us to throw till noon."

I blinked, startled that she could carry around that many blades. Then a thought occurred to me.

"Tenten, can you divide the weapons into three scrolls?" At her nod I smiled, "Do so. Naruto two shadow clones please. When Tenten finishes dividing the weapons you three are two get across from on opposite sides of the clearing and start throwing. Try to make her get close to the stream. Tenten when you're done with that do you mind drawing this design on my back?"

She nodded and handed the scrolls to the Narutos, before turning to me and pulling out a brush and a pot of ink.

"Uh, where are the weapons?"

This stopped all action. Stunned, we both turned to him.

"You don't know about storage seals?" We asked, incredulous.

"You know how many times I was kicked out of the classroom." He said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

So I proceeded to give him a minute long crash course on storage seals, while Tenten painted the seal I gave her on my back, after we finished I sent Naruto off to barrage our sensei with the weapons, and crept off to the creak, hoping to flank her and take the bells while she was distracted by the flying metal.

I poked my head out of the water to watch our sensei dodging the weapons. It was pretty obvious where Tenten was as only the weapons she threw got close to hitting our sensei. Seeing my signal, Naruto and his clone shifted their fire to the front of Anko slightly, to keep her from charging the trees as I crept up behind her. After reaching her, my hand crept out, reaching for the bells, only to be grabbed.

"You didn't think you could sneak up on my, now di…" She said as she turned around only to see nothing despite the fact she was holding on to a wrist. "Where the fuck are you, and how the fuck did you turn invisible?" She demanded.

I didn't answer her, instead I warned her, "Uh sensei you might want turn around."

She did, still holding on to my wrist, until she saw what was charging her. Hundreds of Narutos were washed across the clearing in a flood of orange.

"Holy shit!"

She dropped my wrist instead opting to fight the orange flood that was my team mate. I used the distraction to slip away noticing that her fighting style moved way too much to attempt to get near to her and take the bells again.

After she took out the clones the barrage started up again as if it never stopped. I was starting to worry about whether this was such a good idea, as Anko was getting mad and it was very apparent. However I let the plan continue as I wanted to get those bells.

The cycle of sneaking in under the barrage then getting out in the clone wave occurred another five times, until I noticed there was only ten minutes left. I decided then it was time for a change of tactics. I found a Naruto and told him what I wanted, and upon seeing his agreement to the plan, I went to find Tenten as another flood of Narutos swarmed the clearing. After the last clone disapated we charged much to Anko's delight as she now was able to fight the people who had been tormenting her all morning. She laughed and charged us. Looking to my right I saw Naruto was ready and reached out and shoved him aside right before Anko reached us, using the momentum gained from the push to roll to the left avoiding Anko's punch and before she could recover she forced to block seceral shuriken that Tenten threw. Using the distraction I spun, swinging my heel around attempting to hit her in the lower back. She managed to twist in a way that allowed her not only to catch my ankle, but then throw me at Naruto, who had launched himself forward with his fist extended to punch Anko. I caught his wrist then slamming my hand on his shoulder I threw myself over him and pushed him down under Anko's guard so Naruto's fist slammed into her thigh, thus scoring our first hit against our sensei.

"You know, if you hadn't pissed me off with all those kunai and shuriken, I would end our fight here. Sucks to be you."

With that she brought down her fist, punching Naruto into the ground. Seeing this I charged and as she looked up I jumped and slammed my knee into her chin, knocking her away from my comrade.

"You ok man?" I inquired as I helped him up.

"Give me a second, and I'll be fine." He responded before shoving me aside and dodging another punch from Anko. Before she could react he grabbed her wrist and threw her. Anko twisted in midair, landing on her feet, and returned the favor, except Naruto wasn't so flexible and was thrown into a tree so hard it left an indentation in the tree. Stunned he slumped down as Anko charged him. I ran after her throwing my hand out to Tenten hoping she would get my plea for a kunai. Feeling the slap of the knife handle against my palm I wrapped my hand around it bringing it up to the back of Anko's head, at the weak point in the skull behind the earlobe an instant after she put a kunai to Naruto's throat.

"So you think you're special don't you, pulling a knife to me." She said feeling the knife point. "Which one do you pick?" With that she twisted one hand into a sign and an earth clone erupted from the ground behind Tenten, putting a kunai to her throat, grinning at me. The grin was replaced by a confused expression when I grinned back, and raised the bells, making them dance on the end of their strings.

Their jingling was instantly accompanied by the ringing of the alarm, signaling noon. I pulled my knife away from Anko at the noise only to be tackled by her.

"Never turn your back on an enemy until their dead." She hissed into my ear, digging her knee into my spine in a very painful way, while holding her kunai to my throat.

"You weren't our opponent. Our egos were. The test was to see if we could work together, not to see if we could beat you, and the only reason we did was because you weren't fighting hard, and at the end you put the psychological test of picking which teammate would live, that's why you let me put the knife to you." I said spitting the dirt out of my mouth. Unbeknownst to me at the time Tenten and Naruto paled as white as a ghost hearing that our sensei wasn't going all out (even if she restricted herself to defence) and it still took us five hours to land a single blow on her.

Anko kneeled on me another minute in silence before bursting out laughing.

"You are the smart one, aren't you? You're correct. The test was designed to pit you against each other, and therefore your teammates became the enemy in your eyes. But you saw through it from the beginning didn't you?"

"It helped that I watched Kakashi give the test last year."

She pouted at this, "That's cheating."

Here Naruto and Tenten answered for me while I merely grinned. I had striven to convince them of this from the start of our acadamey days.

"But sensei, ninja are supposed to cheat."

"After all cheating in a fight means you live another day, unless the enemy can out cheat you." I added.

She looked at us hard for a moment before getting up and helping me to my feet.

"Alright you guys pass."

As soon as I was standing she turned around and decked me.

"That's for your stupid plan."

"That's not fair sensei!" Tenten cried, rushing over to check if I was alright.

"War isn't fair Tenten." I said before Anko could even open her mouth.

She smiled for the first time that day (a smile that wasn't sadistic anyway) and said, "I starting to like you brats. Come on, for actually beating me I'll pay for lunch."

"Yeah! Ichiraku's Ramen, here we come!" Naruto shouted dragging the rest of us as he ran to his favorite eatery.

* * *

"Well here we are, this will be your new home. Hokage-sama, decided that we would have the teams live together from here on out. So from now on you live, eat, drink, fight, work, and sleep together."

"I'm not sleeping with them." I said more interested in checking out my new home than listening to the conversation, but fallowing along so I wouldn't be roped into something, because I wasn't paying attention.

Anko looked somewhat confused by this statement, "Of course not, you all have separate rooms upstairs."

Naruto and Tenten ran upstairs to grab their room, ahem, rooms. I merely looked at Anko and said, "100 ryou says they share a room."

"You're on brat; they're too young to understand the pleasures of the flesh." She scoffed as we followed them up the stairs.

Upon coming to the landing we saw that Tenten had grabbed the room that overlooked the forest and was in an argument with Naruto.I was in a good mood and wasn't planning on letting my friends argue about anything, for them being upset is like walking through a forest full of angry hornets; you don't get out in the same condition you go in as. So walking up to them I shoved Naruto into the room Tenten picked and walked into the room that had the view of the Hokage monument on the mountain, thus selecting the room that Naruto wanted, ending the confrontation. In my new room I unsealed my stuff and started turning it into a place to call home.

After I finished I walked back outside to see a bemused Anko staring at the now closed door that opened to Tenten and Naruto's room; wordlessly she held out some money as I walked by, heading to the unclaimed room. I took it and entered the final room on the floor.

"What are you going to do with this room?" She asked following me inside as I sealed away the bed and dresser.

"This will be our study. All our work that doesn't involve sweating our asses off will happen here. With the money I'll get from selling these I'll by a table and some book shelves." I replied. With that said I pulled out a piece of paper and began drawing on it, laying out my plan for the room. I smiled, things were looking good.


	5. Banishment

**Timescip four months**

* * *

I threw myself behind a tree just as the ice needles flew past intent on burying themselves into my body. Cursing I ran from my hiding spot heading off to my opponents right returning the flying needle favor, except my needles were steel. It was a battle of bloodlines, ice verses steel, and she was winning as the cold was seeping into the metal and making me sluggish, despite the fact that she had yet to hit me. Again I was forced to dodge back to the tree I had taken cover behind earlier. I was mad. She wasn't attempting to defeat me; she just wanted to keep me away from Naruto and Tenten where they were fighting a rouge member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. There I would do the most good in this battle for I was a swordsman and I hated fighting at range which was what my opponent was very skilled at doing.

Another attempt at getting past was defeated and once again I was forced to retreat. I cursed the ice bitch who seemed to enjoy tormenting me. Then I started cursing the world; in particular the Konoha Council and the Uchiha clan. How the fuck was I supposed to know that the bastard was so mentally unsound that he went insane from a simple seal induced genjutsu?

The council had decided in their infinite wisdom that Naruto was the cause even though he knew nothing of the event until after it transpired. Sticking up for Naruto Tenten and I were banished from Konoha with him. The Old Man had managed to make it so we were only banished until Sasuke recovers from his bout of insanity. Who knows when that will happen if ever. So here we are fighting an A rank Mist missing ninja and his little ice bitch, deep in the heart of nowhere in some godforsaken forest a mere four months after we were accepted as Konoha genin.

"What the fuck is your problem?" I screamed at the ninja who faced me as once again she stopped my attempt to help my friends.

"I have no problem with you. You are merely in the way of our objective and as such must be eliminated." Came her hollow voice from behind the hunter nin mask she had yet to remove.

"What is your objective that we must be eliminated? We're clan less nobodies!"

"That is where you are wrong. The blond we suspect is the son of a wanted man and if we can get him we'll be very rich. And then master will be happy."

"And who is this wanted man? Naruto is an orphan."

"That is exactly why we suspect him of being the son of the Fourth Hokage."

That one through me for a loop. Naruto? Son of a kage? Son of the Fourth?

"Now you will die." She said in my ear.

'When the hell did she get behind me?' I turned and leapt away before realizing that was exactly what she wanted me to do. Hand raised, ice needles formed around her and leapt after me. During our fight we had both learned a lot about my bloodline. Like the fact I have to be touching the ground to use it effectively.

I reached out trying to touch the metal of the earth and summon it before me to protect myself from her attack, my eyes closed in concentration. Feeling something I pulled on it drawing it into the air between us. As I landed I heard not the dull clinking of ice on steel but a sound reminiscent of a glass bell. I opened my eyes and saw a clear blue wall of _ice_ already distorting as the sun started to melt it. So shocked by the wall I had summoned I failed to notice when my opponent disappeared from my view.

Suddenly I found myself tackled, flying sideways though the air as the girl attached herself to my body. After landing we rolled over several times before coming to a rest. Her mask had come off in the fall and she was nuzzling my face when we halted.

"What the hell? Why are you hugging me? You were just trying to kill me seconds ago!"

"Why would I want to kill one of my kin?" came the cool reply as she stopped nuzzling me and leaned back as if to get a better view of me. "Why didn't you use ice earlier to stop my attacks, instead relying on metal?"

"Because I didn't know I could use ice, damnit. Let go of me!"

She lost grip of my body but managed to grab my arm before I could get away. Seeing and option I put my leg in between us, using it as a lever to pull her off my arm. Suddenly I stopped, feeling a strange moisture on my leg which she was straddling. A blush adorned her face as she realized I had noticed her arousal. With a final yank I pulled my arm free and stood up to go help my friends. The girl attatched herself to my leg before I could flee her range and deciding it wasn't worth the time trying to free myself, I made my way as best as I could with a hundred pound weight on one leg, back to our camp before we had been attacked by the two ninja.

I entered the small clearing just in time to see the rouge start a downward swing of his massive sword at the fallen Tenten. Unlimbering my sword, I threw it, managing to catch the guard on the hole in his blade, dragging his blow off target. Feeling the blow missed he looked my way with a concentrated glare training on me before his expression shifted to one of total shock upon seeing my new leg ornament.

"Zabuza-sama, can we keep him?" She asked as she continued to rub her face against my thigh.

A hush fell over the clearing as every stared at the girl who refused to let go of me. Summoning my sword back to my hand, I sheathed it before crossing my arms and asking the masked man.

"Do you mind telling your subordinate to let go of my leg? I would be much obliged."

Silence returned to the clearing as he continued to stare, as if he didn't hear my query.

I sighed. 'As long as we're not fighting anymore it doesn't really matter if she's got my leg in a death grip. It's kind of ackward that she's aroused though.'

It was another minute before the silece was disturbed again.

"Haku, why are you holding onto his leg. I ordered you to kill him, not to cuddle his leg. Did you not understand my order?"

The cold tone of his voice chilled my body more than any of the attacks Haku (if that was really her name) had thrown at me. There was no caring. It was the voice of a professional.

"Zabuza-sama, he's an ice wielder. You know I vowed never to fight one of my kin."

The cold eyes turned and bored down on me. His gaze felt like he was trying to kill me, but was too lazy to move. A shiver ran down my spine; suddenly it felt like I had to impress him if I wanted to live through the next minute.

"And who are you?" He growled out, like he was at war with himself over whether to kill me now or wait for my answer.

"The name's Erik. Grew up in Konoha's orphanage with these two before they moved out. Then I was there with the other no names." Came my reply.

He made no comment, but continued to examine me. I started to tense up ready to jump away if Zabuza was to make a move.

"Relax Erik-kun. I won't let big bad Zabuza-sama hurt you."

Naruto burst out laughing at that.

"The guy is supposed to protect the girl not the other way around!"

Tenten smacked him for that comment.

"Actually she would probably do a better job fighting him then I would, considering that she knows him a lot better and was trained by him." I muttered, deciding to remove Haku from my leg before she started something kinky. I reached down and grabbed her around the arms near her armpits, pulling her off. Slowly her grip loosened, and with a final pull I managed to free myself once again. The instant her feet touched the ground she launched herself at me, smashing her lips against mine in a very desperate feeling kiss. Unfortunately her hug/kiss had knocked me off balance and I was staggering backwards when the sound of splintering wood echoed throughout the clearing and I felt the ground give way beneath us and we plunged into darkness, hitting a slant and heading deep into the earth.

We screamed. What else could we do? Our speed kept increasing no matter what we tried to do to stop.

Faintly I heard Naruto shout out, "Don't worry we're coming!"

Noticing a light ahead I redoubled my efforts to slow down, pulling out a pair of knives and shoving them into the earth of the ramp we were on. Finally we started slowing down, but the light raced at us at such a speed that I wondered if there was any use to trying to stop.

Suddenly the earth disappeared as we entered a large well lit area, but before the chamber could be studied we fell into a pool of water. The breath was knocked out of me, and if it hadn't been it would have been stolen by the cold of the water. Haku let go of me (finally) and started thrashing around, hitting my head a couple of times before I managed to grab her arms. By that time I had started to rise and pulled her up with me. Breaking free of the surface I saw steps leading out of the water, rising about twenty feet before spreading out into a pavilion like area where a large fire was burning in the center.

Turning Haku towards the steps I pushed her to them. "Swim." Was all I said before I followed my own advice and made my way to the steps. Reaching them I turned around to locate the girl that had caused our current misfortune. She was calmly walking across the water taking off her clothes as she went, pausing on the step I stood on to take off her pants before continuing up the steps to lay her clothes out by the fire.

A splash sounded through the chamber fallowed by two more as I turned around in time to see Zabuza fall from the celing to land in the pool. Rolling my eyes at them I turned and followed Haku to the fire to warm up. Shortly Naruto, Tenten, and Zabuza joined us, all of us in a state of partial undress, ranging from Zabuza's normal outfit being bereft of a shirt, to Naruto and Haku striping to their undergarments.

"What the hell is this place?" Naruto inquired as he looked out over the pool. I followed his gaze and saw a mural on the far wall depicting a large beast with ten tails battling an equally large dragon with silver scales. Off to the side was a man who was portrayed larger than life, with strange, ripple patterned eyes, and a large sealing array hovering in the air between him and the combatants.

I looked at the other walls over the pool and they also had murals on them but the angle of the light made it so I couldn't see them from where I was.

We sat in silence for awhile trying to figure out the place we had fallen to without leaving the warmth of the fire. After about five minutes I got up and walked around the fire to look at the wall through which we would have to find a way out through. There was a large arching doorway with doors missing in the far wall but a huge chasm that was seemingly bottomless between the fire's ledge and the door. On the edge of the precipice a podium rose with an ancient looking text inscribed onto it in a language that looked strangely familiar to me despite my inability to read it.

"Hey guys, look at this." I called to them, curious to find out if any could read the text.

Haku walked up behind me and wrapped her arms around my stomach, trying to draw warmth from my body as she was cold to the touch.

"What's that."

I gave her a look and said, "If I could read it I would be reading it instead of calling you over to see if any of you could read it."

By that time the rest of our small group had gathered around the podium, staring at it with confusion or in the case of Zabuza, annoyance.

Suddenly Naruto started speaking…

_This is the temple and cairn of the forbidden summons. Forbidden from this world, never to see the sun again, for they are guilty of crimes against this world. _

_Dragons- banished from this world for instigating the daemon war, for harboring in their midst daemons of great strength that killed many of the summon clans during the Daemon War._

_Foxes- forbidden from being summoned for allying themselves with the Jubbi during the Daemon War._

_Kraken/ Sea Serpents- forbidden from being summoned for allying themselves with the Jubbi during the Daemon War._

_Leopards- forbidden from being summoned for refusing to accept the rule of the council, and calling for the return of the Dragon King._

_Phoenixes- forbidden from being summoned for the granting of powers unto the Uchiha clan._

_Thunderbirds- forbidden from being summoned for being beasts of chaos._

_Stand and bear witness to their imprisonment traveler then turn away for those that wish to seek the power of these summons will surely die in the trials ahead, for the Council of the Clans has set protections against the entrance to this temple. For those who choose to enter beware! Only death awaits thee._

Silence reigned after Naruto stopped reading as we stood staring at the tablet.

"That's a lot of words for so little carved." Zabuza mused. "Any idea why the bottom half of the tablet is blank?"

No one answered him.

A compulsion welled up inside me, taking over my body and laying my hand upon the bottom part of the tablet and pushing my bloodline into the stone. A seal burst into being at the intrusion of my chakra into the stone and shone brightly illuminating the chamber, revealing the murals that covered the walls in a degree that the fire didn't come close to matching. Suddenly a walkway erupted from the far wall and raced across the chasm, slamming into the ledge with a vengeance, shaking the ground under our feet. The seal died out and was replaced by the words, _Welcome descendent of the Norse._

* * *

**Note: Naruto and co pulled a prank on Sasuke placing genjutsu inducing seals around the Uchiha compound showing him his family as they were before the massacar. This sent him insaine, and the council banished Naruto and co. The Third managed to allow them back once Sasuke recovered from the bout of insanity.**

**Note: I'm pushing everything back the two years Naruto and co will be banished.**


	6. Recieving the contracts

"Cousin!" Haku squealed and hugged me so hard I could hardly breathe.

"Descendent of the Norse? What does that mean?" inquired a befuddled Naruto.

"The descendents of the Norse were known as the Scylding clan before they were thought to be forced into extinction between the destruction of Whirlpool and the bloodline purges of Mist. They were primarily members of the Village Hidden amongst the Whirlpools, however along the way there was an argument that split the clan and some went to the Hidden Mist Village. There was a fierce animosity between the two parts of the clan that led to many bloody battles. They were particularly well known for their double bloodline limit of 'Metal Singers' and 'Ice Singers' or metal and ice elemental affinities. Rarely did a woman get the metal affinity and rarely did a man get the ice affinity. You somehow have both, which is unheard of in Mist history. I don't know about Whirlpool though." Zabuza said from the floor where he had thrown himself when the tablet had named me a member of the Scylding clan.

"Why are you bowing to me?" I managed to gasp out, despite the crushing grasp of Haku. "Haku- chan, please, not so hard."

"My sensei was a Scylding, a member of the clan who was seen as the finest swordsman to ever walk the earth. On top of that the Scylding clan was seen as an elite clan before the anti-bloodline Third Mizukage came into power." He replied, refusing to look up from the floor.

"Well I'm not them, so don't bow to me. Now how about we find a way out of here?"

Everyone quickly agreed that we should continue through the doorway in search of an exit. After gathering (and putting on) our equipment (and clothes) we set off across the walkway. Nearing the door we began to distinguish a mural on the door itself. A tall, cloaked man carrying a large zwiehandder sword over his shoulder was at floor level, with his face unseen as he was facing into the door. Facing out were images of the forbidden summons facing the man with the dragon at the top. Underneath the dragon were a thunderbird and a phoenix. Under them were a fox and a leopard, with a serpent rising between them, directly over the man.

"Nice door," Naruto commented as he walked up to, and proceeded to try and open it. "It won't open!" he gasped from the exertion.

"Move brat; let a man show you how it's done." Zabuza said, roughly dragging Naruto away from the door. He braced himself and heaved against the door, only for it to stand still in silent mockery of his efforts.

"Zabuza- sama, the tablet specifically named the Scylding clan, granting them entrance, maybe you should let Erik-kun or myself try and open the door."

They looked at Haku as her words sunk in to their conscience, and they realized how stupid they had been.

"You're more than welcome to try brats."

I walked up to the door and placed my hands on it, half expecting it to burst open as the tablet had burst into light. It didn't. As I stood there I started leaking my chakra into the door, pushing at it with my bloodline. Before long a click was heard in the door, and I pushed it open. A flicker of something moved in the shadow as the door opened and pain suddenly flooded my body only to disappear as fast as it had happened. Looking down I saw an iron spear piercing my stomach. Holding it was what appeared to be a statue made of iron facing me; it's face forged into a scowl of hatred. Anger surged through me and I tore my sword from its sheath on my back, swinging it forward as I lunged down the spear, brigging my sword down on the statue, and slicing through it like a knife through warm butter. From left shoulder to right hip the statue had been divided and slowly fell, revealing a bunch of whirling gears which slowly ground to a stop. The pieces of metal fell to the floor with a resounding clanging noise, through which the noise of the spear tip that had pierced me falling to the floor was lost. Only when the shaft fell did I realize that the spear was no longer in my stomach.

"That is what the Metalsingers could do. That is why they were feared. That is part of the reason that during the Second Shinobi war Whirlpool was destroyed." Zabuza's face was a mask of indifference as he walked past me into the vast hall that had been revealed. "We aren't going to leave this place by standing around. Come on. Be wary, there will be almost definitely more automatons guarding this place."

We hurried after him not wanting to be separated from the most experienced and strongest ninja in the room.

We moved through many halls of emptiness with only the walls' uniformity and decoration to show that this was not a natural cave system. Occasionally we fought automatons, usually solo guardians, but a few times it was a party of four, with one instance of a group of ten facing us. It was easy to see that they were designed to be defeated by a Scylding as Haku and I had little trouble dispatching the metal warriors. Tenten's lightning came a close second in destructive power, followed by Zabuza's immense sword. Naruto was proved to be the weakest link in our chain as he preferred to fight with his fists and when he tried to punch an automaton he almost broke his hand.

Durring one fight against a larger group I separated myself from the rest of the group and started to explore the halls at a faster pace now that I was by myself. Hall after hall was filled with pillars that disappeared into the darkness of the ceiling, chains hung down, holding shallow basins that held a fire in each one slightly above my head. Rarely did I see another automaton, but when I did they fell quickly before my blade as I wandered the rooms. Often I stopped to examine the frescos that adorned the walls. Many were to faded to understand what was painted, but some, especially those painted in releife were distinct and could be seen to portray scenes of war. Primarily pictures off demons facing off against large animals that were almost a match in size to the demons. Often the broken bodies of men and women lay around the bottom of the picture, only a few stood in any picture and in most all were portrayed dead.

Eventually I came to a room that was elliptical in shape, unlike the rest of the halls that were rectangular. A statue of a demon with ten tails dominated the room, towering easily a hundred feet into the air. It's blackish, brown color originating from the rock gave it an disgusting look. Facing it stood a man who stood about 5'7" in height, the white marble that he was carved from showed fragments of paint on it hinting at vibrantly colored robes. His eyes kept their paint and showed concentric rings of a pale blue and lavender spreading out from the centre. It was between them though stood the object that captured my attention. Standing in the middle of the room was a dragon head erupting from the floor. In its clasped jaws was a scroll of maybe a yard in height and a half foot in diameter. Before it in a plaque on the floor was an inscription in the language that the tablet by the fire was written in. I stood looking at the plaque wondering its meaning when suddenly a voice sounded in my head.

"_The summoning contract of the dragons was declared forbidden after the Daemon War in which the dragons were are charged with harboring and aiding the demons we, the summon clans and the people that populate this land, fought to the death many times against. This crime is seen as unforgivable and as such the dragon kind are not only forbidden from this world, but also exiled from the summon world. Using their powers the survivors of the war left in exile rather than face extinction at the hands of those who survived the war as after their king, the Golden Dragon who when in daemon faze, was the Ten Tailed Demon God, was sealed into the __Rikudo Sennin_ _they had no will to fight. However the clans have sense come to the agreement that should a need arise to help save the world the contract could once again be used."_

A different voice continued when the first stopped. What it said made shiver with fear.

"_The Toad Clan are known for their ability of prophecy. Recently a vision has come to the Great Toad Sage that one shall arise that will heal this world from the black plague of warfare, or will forever doom this people to eternal war and bloodshed. You have been chosen by the Council of the Clans to bear the Dragon contract to aid the one if their aim is peace and to annihilate the one if their aim is war. Rise last of the Scyldings; rise heir to the Metalsinger bloodline; rise and bear this burden as yours is the only kind who can do what is needed."_

Once the voice stopped the dragons mouth opened and the scroll dropped slightly, resting against the back of the statue's mouth rather than being held in its teeth. I hesitated, then reached out and grabbed the scroll. Honestly I took it more from curiosity than from desire to do as the voice had told me to do. Once I grasped the scroll and took it from its resting place of the last millennia or so, the dragon's mouth snapped shut and the head sunk back into the floor. I placed the scroll down on the floor where the dragon had been and opened it to see a large grid of two rows continuing down the scroll past the part that began the wrap around the pole. Only the first two column where filled though. In those columns a name was written in blood in the script of the plaque, which I now believed either to be the script of the Summons or the script of the Scylding clan. Beneath the names were the fingerprints of the right hand of the previous signers. I stared at the scroll for a minute before biting my index finger and writing my name in the next column, then touching my finger to my thumb and my thumb to my other fingers I placed my fingerprints in beneath my name. When I took my hand away the scroll combusted, starting at my name and spreading outwards rapidly. With a flash so bright that I had to shield my eyes, the scroll disappeared. I didn't have time to ponder it though as I heard I scream, coming forth from the direction that my friends were.

I ran from the room back into the halls, searching for the source of the scream. After a minute of running in the halls, I heard a grunt and the hiss of needles through air. I swerved to go see if Haku was in need or if she was responding to the scream as well. Coming closer to the sounds of a fight I suddenly slipped on a patch of ice that had started to melt. Falling on my back, I somehow managed to keep my head from impacting the floor. I didn't bother getting up as my momentum from running was moving me across the ice. I came to a stop against a wall and after a moment's concentration, stood up having made metal teeth on the bottom of my boots. I heard a pain filled moan behind me. When I turned around I saw Haku, pinned to the wall with a spear through her side. Blood was already staining the ground beneath her; she wouldn't last much longer as blood loss would kill her quickly. I moved forward, compelled the same way as when I placed my hand on the tablet, and using a knife I slit open my hand, placing the bloody palm against her wound, mixing the blood. Then I willed my bloodline out my hand, into her body. I stood there for a minute listening to Haku make noises of pain, wishing I could do something to dull the pain I knew her to be feeling. With a clang the spear shaft fell to the floor, followed by Haku collapsing into my arms. I picked her up bridal style and reached out with my senses, somehow knowing what to look for as I searched for Naruto, as he had the largest chakra signature. Feeling something I took off running that direction, knowing that, like sharks, the automatons would sense the blood and come searching for the kill.

I was breathing hard when I finally found the others. All three of them were showing signs of fighting. Zabuza took Haku from my arms the instant he saw the blood and placed her gently down on the floor. Opening her kimono he washed away the blood using water from a flask he pulled out of a seal. He looked stunned to see no wound, and looked at me, confusion written on his face. I ignored him for a minute as I struggled to regain my breath.

"I managed to heal her wound using my bloodline." I commented once my breathing was once again under control. "She lost a lot of blood though and will need to rest. I don't really know what happened but she took out fifteen of the bastards at the price of a spear through the side."

Zabuza looked down at Haku, a look of worry flitting across his face before his mask of icy indifference resumed its normal place. He gathered her in his arms and stood up.

"Come on brat. We found the way out before you returned from your explorations."

I asummed a reclining position, staring at him.

"Oh? And where did you get this information?"

"An amazingly helpful nine tailed fox lady." He said this with a look at Naruto who didn't notice as he was helping Tenten who had apparently sprained her ankle.

"Don't you mean vixen?" I inquired as I pulled myself off the floor to fallow them.

"No. It was a lady with fox ears and nine fox tails. Her outfit was delightful. Sheer cloth of a deep crimson. Your friend Blondie there got the fox summoning contract from her. Panda got the leopard summoning contract from this Amazonian looking lady who was wearing a vest that appeared to be made of leopard skin, not that it covered anything."

I didn't bother asking who Panda was. After it became known that we hung out with "the demon" everyone began searching for things to pick on us with. Tenten's hair style was quickly noticed and that became one of the many names that she got called. The only reason that she kept her hair that way was because Naruto said it looked nice. Personally I think a woman's hair looks better down, but it is impractical to go into a fight with free-flowing hair, and a pony-tail was only asking to have it pulled.

I followed Zabuza as he walked through the halls, never pausing in doubt at any of the side passages, leading us out of the temple. We eventually came upon a passageway that was much smaller than the halls we had left, the ceiling only being ten feet or so above the ground and only being about eight feet in width. This passage eventually lead to a staircase that disappeared into the darkness above us. Undaunted Zabuza started up the stairs as if they were merely a few flights in height. The rest of us stopped, staring up into the darkness, worried that we couldn't make it up the stairs.

"Hurry up brats. Bring a torch with you."

Startled into motion I grabbed a torch and lit it in a basin. Grabbing a couple extra I ran up the steps catch up to Zabuza.

Two hours later we reached the top of the stairs. I collapsed in exhaustion, being careful to smother the last torch into the ground, as there was light enough to navigate the cave we were in without it. Naruto and Tenten crawled up beside me before collapsing as well.

"You brats make it look like that was hard work."

I glared at Zabuza as he carefully set Haku down on the sand that covered the floor. Despite his words I could tell he wasn't feeling the best after the climb. A sheen of sweat covered his chest and his breathing was slightly ragged. He looked at us and sighed.

"You brats stay here. I'll go take a look at the surroundings."

With that he left. By the time he had returned I had recovered enough to begin setting up camp in the cave.

"Well it looks like well be staying here for awhile. We're on an island with no land in sight except for another couple of islands."

* * *

I'm amused that no one caught my misnomer. The Scylding were a historical clan, but were not Norse. They were Danish.

Questions, comments? Review!


	7. Two years of banishment

Time skip 7 months

I ran across the waves trying to go faster. Unfortunately I haven't learned how to balance pumping chakra to run faster and to walk on water, so I was running at a fast civilian pace of 15 miles per hour.

'Just a few hundred yards to go.'

The shore was just ahead of me. Behind me stood another island. However it was very different from the one we had appeared from the temple on. It held the ruins of the Hidden Whirlpool Village after all.

I felt the waves grow larger under my feet as the seafloor rose from the oceanic depths to be visible to the eye under the water. Suddenly the water disappeared from under my feet and I was running over sand. Changing the flow of my chakra my speed doubled and I entered the trees topping out over 30 mph.

'I wonder what Zabuza will say about this.'

Despite his seaming indifference about us he cared in his own way. The cold hearted bastard was still an ass though. After a week in the cave he kicked us out telling us it was survival training. Haku followed me while Tenten and Naruto went their own way. Not that we didn't bump into each other often enough. On a five square mile island there isn't much room for ninja.

I burst out of the tree's already on the other side of the island. Before me stretched a moderate meadow that disappeared over a cliff that dropped a couple hundred feet to the water; half way down was the cave that we got to this island through. I skidded to a near halt as I approached the edge, nearly loosing all my speed before I went over, making sure to keep my feet in contact with the rock as I went down the cliff. Hitting the ledge I entered the cave at a sedated pace, as Zabuza had made it clear that the cave was his and we weren't to enter unless it warranted his attention.

'If this doesn't warrant his attention then I need to change my priorities.'

"What do you want brat?"

I was startled at the drunken slur that corrupted his voice.

"Sir, I have found Whirlpool."

I appeared out of the shadows on my left, scaring the shit out of me. Giving me a hard look he studied my face before speaking.

"What did you say?"

"Sir, I have found Whirlpool. The ruins are on the island with the volcano."

He adopted a thoughtful look that he held for all of a second before taking a swig of the bottle that he had been drinking from before my appearance in the cave.

"That's nice."

The slur was back hard and thick, as he turned around and vanished into the shadows.

I shrugged off his lack of concern to his drunken state and turned to go find my friends. Haku and Tenten were likely in the forest gathering herbs or some such. Naruto could be anywhere on the island. It was hard to tell with him, as his attention was as flighty as a bird. Zabuza had given up on training him five times already as Naruto would find something to catch his attention the moment Zabuza started to lecture.

Reaching the top of the cliff I was surprised to see all three waiting for me at the forests edge.

"What's up?" Naruto inquired. "We saw you running through the trees like you had a demon at your heels."

"Ha, ha. You know I wouldn't be running from a demon."

At that his face darkened. Already trying to learn how to control the fox, Naruto had lost control multiple times. Once Zabuza was nowhere near and I had fought him while the girls had run to find sensei.

* * *

Flashback

My body burned from the corrupting touch of the red chakra that had surrounded Naruto. A fox like cloak of chakra covered him complete with two tails. Any touch of it was dangerous and he had made contact with me twice. I looked across the clearing at my friend, as the fox spoke through him.

"**Give up and I'll kill you quickly."**

I smirked at the thought. Give up? Hell no, I loved to fight too much, blood lust, battle frenzy, berserker rage; call it whatever you will I had it strong right then and I was soaring on a high like no other. Well, almost no other. Sex was better. My head instantly flooded with pictures of Haku's naked body lying before me, glowing softly in the moonlight. A noise brought my back to the present in time to see Naruto fuzz out and disappear.

'Shit, where did he go?'

A scream tore itself from my thought as he bit down on my right forearm. Recovering I brought my left hand, now covered in steel, around to punch his face. He was forced away from me, but didn't let go of my arm, taking a good part of it with me with him as he rolled across the ground. Another scream echoed across the island. I looked down at my arm, red and white shining brightly in the noonday sunlight. I watched as rather than try to heal the wound I had suffered, my bloodline merely turned my arm into steel. I clutched my sword in my right hand, trying to ignore the dull ache that had replaced the terrible, burning pain.

"Bastard."

I threw myself at him, swinging my sword around in a blow that surely would have decapitated him if he hadn't had the chakra cloak on. Smirking, if still somewhat dazed from my punch, the possessed Naruto raised his arm and my sword stopped on the vile red chakra that covered him. Suddenly his eyes rolled back up into his head and he collapsed, revealing a stoic Zabuza with arm upraised, a repression seal now firmly fixed to Naruto's head. I stood looking at him panting at the exertion of fighting off a bijuu for two minutes, even if said demon wasn't used to fighting at only two tails of power.

"What took you?" I panted, barely managing to hold myself upright.

"Be glad I came at all brat." He growled out.

My knees buckled and I collapsed to the ground, my vision darkening as I slowly fell into unconsciousness.

"Kid did well to survive fighting a Naruto at two tails for two minutes." The last words I heard is the world turn to black.

Flashback end

* * *

I flexed my now metal hand at the memory as their eyes flickered to said hand.

"What is it that you talked to Zabuza- sensei about?" Haku's soft voice pierced the tense atmosphere.

"I found the ruins of Whirlpool."

Their eyes widened at that before all three of them started talking at once.

"You're kidding right?"

"Let's go exploring!"

"What did Zabuza- sensei say about it?"

I held up my hand to quiet them and the acquiesced to my request.

"Zabuza- sensei refused to comment. Yes I did really find the destroyed village, and yes, I think we should go exploring."

Naruto let out a whoop of joy that I shared his sentiments about the place as he turned and ran into the forest. To my immense amusement he came running back in seconds rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Uh, where are the ruins?"

I shook my head at his excitement. Then I jumped into the branches above his head, rushing to the beach. They quickly followed. Soon we were running across the water, heading to the large volcano dominated island that anchored the small chain of islands around us. Upon hitting the beach I raced between the palms that covered this island, leading them at an angle to the tip of the mountain. Within a minute we hit a road that was in surprisingly good shape considering that it hadn't been maintained in more than a score of years. I angled onto the road and followed it over the crest of one of the ridges that connected at the mouth of the volcano. I stopped, and the others halted around me, Naruto opening his mouth to complain before he caught sight of what lay before us. Built around a natural harbor, nestled between to ridges lay the ruins of the once great Village Hidden amongst the Whirlpools. Out by where the two ridges submerged the whirlpools that gave the village it's name roared with the furry that they had for all of recorded history.

No one spoke for a minute as they took in the sight. Having already seen it and eager to explore I walked over to a rock on the side of the road. Carved deep into the rock a sealing array that was one of many that protected the backside of the village with a nigh impenetrable barrier. Apparently it wasn't impenetrable enough as this road was the one that the combined Rock, Sand, and Mist army had supposedly followed to the village's destruction. Biting my left thumb I swiped it across the seal, a green light flashed; showing that it recognize me and let me through. I turned around and motioned for my friends to follow my example on the rock. For all of them except Tenten the rock flashed green. Frowning I swept my bloody digit across the seal again, this time over the streak of blood that Tenten had left. For a moment nothing happened then the rock flashed green, signifying its acceptance of Tenten as a guest to Whirlpool. I turned and lead the way down into the valley, heading south to the bay that was encircled by the ruined town.

Starting on the closer east side, we searched through the houses that remained standing finding very little of notice. Within an hour we had completed the east side of the village, having found only a small jewelry box, with said ornaments still inside. Tenten quickly put that in a storage seal as we moved on the grander buildings that still dominated the western side of the harbor, even after war and two decades or more of neglect had left their toll.

Quickly we realized that the west side was the shinobi side as the buildings had large open fields next to them; some of the fields still had training butts for target practice and training posts still in them. Several compounds enclosed with walls were sealed off, so we couldn't search in there, but what we assumed to be the academy, the library and the kage tower weren't so we searched each carefully. Nothing was found in the first or last of the aforementioned. It was in the exploring of the library that we made our find.

Haku was trailing me as I searched between empty shelves when the floor gave way with a crash, depositing us about fifteen feet below the ground floor in a long hallway that disappeared into the distance in one direction. In the other direction a large metal door stood imposingly, almost daring us to get closer. I answered the dare, walking right up to the surprisingly clean looking metal. Putting my hand on the handle I wasn't at all surprised to find it locked. Calling on my bloodline, I pushed it into the door to be rewarded with the click of the lock disengaging. Smiling I opened the door. What I saw made my jaw drop to the floor.

Row after row of shelves stuffed to the brim with scrolls stretched out before us. Each shelf was marked with the runes that filled the temple. Suprisingly I now understood what they said. Walking up to one I traced the tree like runes, as I spoke what they said.

"Anatomy/ Medical"

"You can read that?" Haku asked, stunned.

I glanced at her, about to retort, when I decided to ignore it and continue down the rows, listing out the labels.

"Anatomy, anatomy, chakra theory, sealing, sealing, sealing, sealing, sealing… how many shelved do they have dedicated to the sealing arts?" I asked exasperated as before me stretched at least another five rows labeled as sealing, after that the light wasn't enough to read.

"What does this say?" Haku inquired startling me. Turning I took the piece of paper she offered me and read the runes she had copied.

"Administrative records- official copies."

She hummed in thought as she turned around and walked back to the other side of the door from where I was.

"There are probably 20 or so rows of records over here," she said shortly thereafter. Shaking my head at her I went out the door to call to Naruto and Tenten. I then started marking out the shelves that I want to remove the contense of. When they arrived I quickly got them to work organizing and sealing away everything that wasn't a record, as I didn't see the point in moving those.

The next two weeks were spent going through everything we had taken from the library. All in all we had 1,546 scrolls on anatomy and healing, more than two thousand in ninjutsu, 506 scrolls in chakra theory, and a staggering 26,493 scrolls in fuuinjutsu. The majority of the sealing arts scrolls were how to make ninjutsu with seals, rather than hand signs, something I was fascinated by. Seeing that my discovery of the ruined village as more than "nice," Zabuza had helped us set up a training schedule to learn the things we had gathered.

* * *

A month after that I went back over there to check out the sealed off compounds and to my surprise one opened to my blood. Inside there was an weapon smith's forge and an entire armory along with a barracks for those that didn't live in the mansion that dominated the back or the compound. In the armory there was surprisingly little armor, and what armor there were almost entirely helmets, forearm guards/gauntlets, shin guards/ greaves, and various chain mail shirts. However there was almost every type of blade conceivable there, from javelins to sword staffs, throwing axes to enormous double sided battle axes, maces, flails, daggers, throwing knives (of which I took a great deal of), swords ranging from giant zweihandder to the small gladius(1). Most were of around three feet in length and sported a double sided straight blade of the broadsword variety. I sealed away a sword or two of almost every type before abandoning the armory in favor of finding the library.

Upon entering the mansion, I was almost blinded by the sunlight reflecting off of polished steel. Covering my eyes I looked around to see steel everywhere. The walls, the furniture, the chandeliers. The only thing that wasn't steel was the hardwood floors. As I wandered through the halls I realized the same could be said of the entire house. Steel made up even the picture frames! Eventually I found the "library." Only ten scrolls were there, much to my disappointment. After spending another two hours searching each room again, I gave up and returned to my companions.

I was startled to find them elsewhere than the camping place we had set up after organizing the scrolls with Zabuza. Looking for them I finally found them in a clearing near the southern shore of our island. Tenten was playing tug-a-war with a snow leopard cup that was apparently one of her summons. Naruto was talking with a small fox cub that had placed herself on his lap and started grooming herself there, much to Naruto's annoyance.

"Hey guys, what's up?"

At my voice they all looked up and I found myself the target of four glares that told me I had made someone very upset.

"Where were you this afternoon?" issued forth a cold voice from behind me. Turning I found Haku holding an ice katana, pointing it at my chest, meaning business.

"I went back over to look at the compounds. One opened to my blood so I looked for the library, not that it should be called such."

"And you didn't tell us."

I shrugged, "I didn't see the need to interrupt anyone's training."

At that she sighed and lowered the sword, letting it vanish as she let go of the jutsu that she had used to create it. "You're so hard to stay mad at when you make sense."

"Thank you. I guess"

"Erik-kun, did you get a summon from the temple too?" Tenten asked, couriosity dripping off her words.

Turning my torso around I nodded, not understanding why she asked. She made me feel dumb at her next question.

"Could we see it?"

Startled I blinked, not seeing any relevant reason why not to, I agreed to try and use my summon.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A poof of smoke obscured the air around me for a second, before quickly disappearing, revealing no summon. I blinked, and then blinked again as my eyes started hurting. Suddenly the pain became unbearable and I fell to my knees screaming in pain, rubbing my eyes to try and relieve the pain. My friends stood in shock at what was happening, before rushing to me. Haku reached me first and grabbing my shoulders she pressed my face to her breast, trying to get me relaxed. After a moment the pain started to recede to my relief, and I found myself able to open my eyes. Colors swarmed my vision, and I suddenly knew unprecedented levels of information about everything around me. Looking at Haku I could see the swirl of chakra through her body, but was unable to see the exact pathways that filled her body. The sudden influx of info swiftly gave me a headache, so I covered my eyes.

"Erik-kun, are you alright?" Haku asked. I looked into her eyes, and quickly closed them as I could see pain, concern, worry, and compassion, swirling into one confused mess. I heard her gasp.

"Erik-kun, your eyes… they're slit. Like a cat's."

I quickly processed what she said, and then asked, "You mean I have slit pupils?"

I sensed her nod, before she realized my eyes were still closed and responded verbally, "Yes, the pupils are slit. Your irises are still the beautiful blue they were before, though."

I took comfort in the knowledge that my eyes hadn't changed totally. I then withdrew my face from Haku's bosom, turning to face the others. I realized I could see them; even with my eyes closed, the hazy outlines of their form were seen in shades of red, orange, and yellow. I could see their body heat. I sat there for a minute in silence, wondering what to do about this. Eventually I decided to just go with the flow and not fight about a new tool in my arsenal. However I still got a major headache quickly when I opened my eyes, so I did what I could.

"Do any of you have a headband or something I could cover my eyes with?"

I heard a quick shuffling as they searched their pockets for the item I requested.

"Here, try this" Tenten said handing me her old hitai-ate from Leaf. I held it in my hand for a moment, before using my bloodline to pull the metal off it. After that was done I tied it over my eyes and stood up, finding myself somewhat unsure of my balance. Haku's hand steadied me, and I grasped her hand, finding strength in her touch. Taking a deep breath I released it slowly.

"This is going to take some getting used to."

* * *

Some getting used to turned into a week of having Haku following me around everywhere, to make sure I didn't suffer from some dizziness or some such related to my new eyes. After that week I took matters into my own hands and threw myself back into training. Quickly I found out another aspect to my eyes. Anything I got hit with I learned how to reproduce. I learned Haku's ice needles, and Zabuza's fog techniques this way, much to Haku's joy and Zabuza's annoyance.

During the next year we read most of the scrolls that we salvaged from the ruins, but were unable to learn as much as we would have liked. Naruto learned little outside of an impressive air ninjutsu arsenal. Tenten increased the seals she knew and started working on basic medic jutsu's like healing cuts and scrapes. Haku used the time to train extensively under Zabuza in swordsmanship, which I to studied in, except from the scrolls I got from the compound, testing them out in duels with Haku and sometimes Zabuza. I also increased my knowledge of the sealing arts and started in basic fire jutsus like the Fireball Technique and the Grand Fireball Technique.

In the month approaching the two year aniversery of our banishment little changed until Zabuza approached us at the fall of the night one day with news.

"We have a job. Have everything you wish to keep packed and ready to move by dawn."

We didn't know at the time just how much the world we knew would be turned upsidedown in the next two weeks.

* * *

**Author's note.**

**If this felt rough to read, that's because it was rough to write. Very little of what I wanted to come out actually came out in this chapter, despite the fact the story hit everything I wanted it to cover.**

**Erik's eyes; when open he can see chakra well enough to understand the way his opponents are moulding their chakra and can somewhat predict the jutsu they are about to use based on the way the chakra is moulded; when closed he can see in thermal imaging.**

**Come on. **

**Press the button.**

**You know you want to.**

**Review!**


	8. Wave

Why is it that only one in every 700 of my readers have an opinion of my work? Is that bad? Or is it that good? For those of you who have reviewed I thank you for your support.

* * *

Two weeks later saw us at another string of islands. This one larger, in both population and land area. Wave, a once moderately prosperous land that was now ruled by the Gato of Gato Shipping Industries. However there was a danger to his monopoly of the island nation. Tanzua, the bridge builder was trying to connect the islands to the mainland with an impressive bridge. We were hired to assassinate him.

* * *

I sighed mentally, hell I wanted to kill the little rotund man blustering in front of me. For the last five minutes he had basically questioned if we were even ninja. I turned my head slightly to the left to see Naruto heat image, showing him to be in the same state that I am in. Despite the fact that I was now comfortable not wearing the headband across my eyes, I continued doing so as to make people underestimate me, after all how thinks a blind person can fight? We stood on either side of the one door in this little hut that Zabuza had made years ago when he had first fled Mist. Now it was the meeting sight with our potential employer.

"Are you doubting us?" Zabuza's voice trembled slightly with barely controlled anger. The signal was given and we sprang into action. Tenten, who had been on a ledge over the door, threw two kunai into the skulls of the first two of Gato's guards, the ones that had been standing right behind him, killing them instantly. I grabbed the head of the one nearest me and giving it a vicious jerk, snapped his neck. An echoing crack told me that Naruto had done the same to the last guard. I looked on patiently as Zabuza swung his sword lazily to point it at Gato. Lazy for a ninja of Zabuza's caliber is still faster than a civilian could see however and Gato jumped to be staring down the edge of a six foot blade. "I promise you, we are the best there are." Zabuza wasn't boasting. The only place one could hire better assassins was from one of the hidden villages, and they wouldn't look too kindly on such a request.

"You'd better be," Gato blubbered, the smell of fear leaking of his four foot frame. "I'd hate to waste money on someone who couldn't take care of my mission." Visibly trying to pull himself together, he turned on his heal. However when he looked for his guards, the only thing he saw was the tip of my blade.

"Zabuza-sama, are you sure we shouldn't just kill him? We'd get more money by raiding his bank than by doing his dirty work." I asked prodding him with the tip of my sword in the forehead.

Zabuza waited a moment, acting like he was considering it. "Even missing ninja must have their honor, brat. But it's tempting nonetheless. Let him go. We'll do the mission."

At that I sheathed my sword and stepped back to the side of the door, with Naruto doing the same. Gato quickly hurried through, pausing only to spit on the bodies of his now dead thug bodyguards. No one moved for a moment until Tenten gave the signal that he had moved beyond earshot.

"Zabuza-sama we need to watch our back with him. I wouldn't put it past him to use us to get the mission done, and then kill us when we're tiered." Haku's cool voice broke the silence.

"That's almost guaranteed with his type. However, we accepted his job and received half of the pay per custom; therefore we must continue with the job, until he betrays us. Then he will die in a painful way." He snapped his fingers and before the sound had died the Demon Brothers were on bended knee before him. "You two will go to the road and kill the bridge builder when you meet him. We will await the news of his death. Do not return empty handed."

"Yes, Sir!" They said, and then disappeared in the Body Flicker Jutsu.

"You two, in case they don't succeed, go into the village, and find out everything you can about the bridge builder. Where he lives, what he eats, his work schedule, who his friends are." Naruto and Tenten nodded and vanished with a swirl of leaves.

"Now as for you two, give me some entertainment." With that his massive sword swung around at Haku's neck only to be blocked by two swords, one of white steel, one of a light blue, transparent ice. As the ringing died down, Haku sprang up, using my shoulder as a pivot to turn in midair to stand beside me.

"Zabuza –sensei, let's go outside so as not to destroy our base." I said.

He smirked at my proposal, "Very well." A triple body flicker occurred littering the floor with leaves, and then we were outside in a all out two on one duel. Despite the fact that we couldn't land a hit against him, it was easy to see how far we had come in the last year and a half. Where once the four of us together couldn't stand up to him for a minute, Haku and myself were now able to duel him for hours without a major concern for our lives.

* * *

Evening fell, finding myself and Haku alone at the campfire. Zabuza had left to "take care of some errands," my money was he was visiting a brothel. Haku bet he was at the nearest bar. Slowly the conversation died as the food got closer to completion. Dinner was a simple affair. A rabbit stew, seasoned with herbs gathered in the forest that covered seventy percent of the island nation we were in. After a few minutes Haku pulled out two bowls and served the stew for us. I silently took the proffered bowl and ate. Not a sound was heard for the next five minutes except for the crackling of the fire. As the silence felt like it would go on forever, Haku spoke.

"Erik-kun, where did you get that sword? I've never seen a sword that was white before, or one of that style."

I placed bowl of stew, half finished, aside as I unlimbered the sword and lay it in my lap. It's white steel shone like snow in the flickering firelight. The blade shown no signs that it had been in a fight, no scratches or nicks marred the perfectly straight edge on either side of the blade. The black seal inlaid into the blade had done its job. Everything I had learned in time I had been in John's forge and from the scrolls found at Whirlpool, coupled with the fuuinjutsu I had learned went into this sword. Its pristine condition showed the skill I held with metal, that a person with less than four months practical experience in a forge could make such a weapon. Built for duty, no ornamentation could be seen on the blade or hilt. Simple leather wrapped around the handle for a better grip. The counterweight was a simple steel ball. The cross guard was simply a piece of chrome steel reshaped to fit my needs. Yet in all its simplicity it was a beautiful weapon. Elegant and efficient.

"I forged it the night before we left the island, in the style of our clan."

"Oh. So that's why you didn't keep me company." She pouted that she had been left for the sword that now was back in my sheath.

"Did you miss my touch that badly?" I smirked, knowing were this conversation would lead if it were let run its course.

"Yes, in fact I did. I can't believe you left me for that piece of steel. You've got the ice bloodline. Why don't you use it to make a sword when you need it rather than carrying around such a heavy piece of metal?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Aw, poor Haku-chan." I used the replacement technique to appear behind her and reached around her grasping her breasts. She gasped at the suddenness of my touch. "However shall I apologize?"

She moaned at my ministrations before leaning back her head to whisper in my ear, "What you're doing is a great way to start."

* * *

Morning came with a painful jolt to my ribs.

"Wake up brats. There's work to do this morning. The Demon Brothers fucked up and now are dead or will be shortly. Haku, you will accompany me when we engage them once they set foot on the island this afternoon. Stay back in case the shit hits the fan and I need an evac."

"Of course Zabuza-sama." Haku replied as she got up, throwing the blanket we had shared that night aside, revealing to the world her glorious body. To my astonishment and amusement Zabuza turned away from the sight with a slight blush showing over the mask he constantly wore.

They went about selecting the appropriate sight for the upcoming battle, leaving me with nothing to do. Eventually I decided to meditate the day away. Nothing of note happened for the rest of the day other the return of Naruto and Tenten, both of whom were subdued by what they had seen, until an hour after noon, when I felt Haku's chakra spike, twice. Sensing something was amiss. I used the body flicker, aiming for where I felt Haku to be now. Arriving at the scene I found Zabuza laying motionless on the ground, two needles sticking out of his neck. As Haku reached to remove them, his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist.

"You didn't have to put me in a forced coma."

"I'm sorry Zabuza-sama, but it was the easiest way I could see to save your life after you got hit by the Great Waterfall Jutsu."

"It seems I taught you to well."

I felt like an interloper in this conversation between master and apprentice that stirred a deep sense of jealousy inside me, much to my surprise. I knew that they had been working together for years before Naruto, Tenten and myself came into the picture, but I still felt stilted by the intimacy they shared.

"Well that's all well and dandy but why were you forced to put Zabuza-sensei in this condition?" I asked somewhat worried that Zabuza had been defeated in such a maner that the coma meathod was used to extract him from the fight. Also there was the fact that he would be laid up for around a week, because of the needles.

"I wasn't expecting such high level shinobi. Apparently they called for backup so instead of there being only one jonin with a team of genin, I was facing two elite jonin, one spec jonin and two teams of genin. Three jonin was more than I was expecting and as such I didn't have a plan to fight them."

I blinked at this information. Who would send three jonin and six genin to handle a C rank escort mission? After all, Wave was too poor to afford anything higher, rank wise.

"Haku, get me the medicine. Brat help me back to base."

I obediently helped the man up and throwing his arm across my shoulders I used the body flicker to put us outside the hut, from where I helped him hobble into said building onto the blankets that lay there still from last night. I watched amused as he scrunched up his face when he lay down on the cloth.

"Brat, get me some new blankets. Now."

I smiled as I turned my back to comply with his wishes.

* * *

The next day Gato came calling. I waited outside with the mass of his hired thugs while he went inside with two. Haku appeared and entered the hut while Gato was bellowing at Zabuza, shortly afterwards two thuds could be heard if one was trained to listen for such. I could hear the mutterings of his guards about the infamous Bloody Demon of the Mist being guarded by a blind boy despite the uproar Gato was making inside.

"What was that? The Bloody Demon of the Mist was bested by a bunch of kids and a pair of bitches! You promised me that he would be dead by today, and yet you haven't delivered. Huh. I'd best end this before I lose any more money." A short pause ensued before Gato screeched in pain as Haku audibly snapped his wrist.

"You will get the results you desire. If you fear for your life you will leave now."

"You have a weak before the bridge is scheduled to be finished. See to it that it doesn't get completed."

Never have I seen a fat man run so fast. He probably hit all of ten mph. Fast for a fat civy. As he ran I noticed him cradling his left wrist.

'So he's a lefty. Interesting.'

"Erik-kun, do you mind helping me for a minute?" Haku called from inside. I sighed and shrugged forcefully enough that I pushed myself off the wall with said movement before turning and entering the hut.

"Haku, I could have handled him myself."

"True but think of what that did to his mind." I commented. "He just saw a pretty little girl walk in with a basket full of flowers; he's probably thinking she's the weakest one of us, only around for her pretty face. Yet when he pisses her off, she casually breaks his wrist like it's an everyday occurrence. If the weakest one of us can do that to him, what can the strongest do?"

They both stared at me.

"Just telling it as I see it."

Zabuza grunted acknowledgment of my argument.

"If you're done being a philosopher will you help me now?" Haku asked as she set about separating out the different herbs she had gathered. I kneeled down beside her and started picking out the ones needed to make a concoction to help Zabuza's healing speed up.

The rest of the week passed without notice.

The morning of the scheduled finale of the bridge I was once again woken with kick to my ribs.

"Get up. Go find your friends. I've got a job for you."

"What the hell do you keep kicking my ribs for? There are other ways of waking a person up. It's because I'm fucking Haku isn't it?"

He stopped walking away and turned so he could see me out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes it is." With that he walked away.

"Bastard." I muttered as I slipped out of the blanket that I shared with Haku, careful not to wake her. I quickly got dressed and left the hut to go find Naruto and Tenten in the pre-dawn light.

"Prank squad reporting for duty!" Naruto shouted as we arrived back at the hut, pulling an exadurated salute.

"That has got to be one of the stupidest names I have ever heard." Zabuza commented before he got down to business.

"I want you three to go down to the bridge builder's house and grab some hostages. Leave now."

I slowly crept closer through the underbrush that filled the edge of the clearing around the bridge builder's house. I reached up to the headset I had in my ear, pressing the transmit button.

* * *

"Dragon in position. Over."

"Leopard in position. Over."

"Fox in position. Over."

"Comensing operation on my mark… now!"

At my command all three of us launched forward, crossing the clearing and hitting the porch in less than a second. In Naruto's case, he hit it hard enough to go through the front wall, creating another front door. I frowned as we had now just lost the element of surprise. Whatever. You have to do, what you have to do. I prepared myself as Tenten entered through the door Naruto created. I followed her to see both of them crumbled to the ground and a familier looking figure crouching above Naruto. I pushed up the headband to see who it was.

"Anko-sensei?"

At my voice she spun and launched a kunai in my direction, and before I could move it was buried up to the handle in my right lung.

"Anko-sensei, that hurt." I complained as my bloodline turned the steel into new tissue. Her eyes widened in recognision.

"Erik-kun? What are you doing here? Am I correct in assuming that this is Naruto and Tenten? Why are you three attacking this house?"

At the mention of our task my eyes grew wide. "Oh shit, the bridge!" With that I turned and took off running, praying that no one had been injured. After all the Council just might decide we had been "aiding and abiding the enemy" and use that as grounds to make our banishment permanent.

I arrived at the bridge to see Zabuza being held by Kakashi's dog summons as he prepared his only original jutsu, Chidori, aka Lightning Sword. I ran to stop the fight but Haku got there first, throwing herself in the way of Kakashi's lightning covered fist, putting up a brave face, but as his fist got nearer, she flinched, closing her eyes. Fealing a liquid splash on her face she thought that it was her blood.

"I'm sorry Erik-kun, that I didn't get to tell you how I feel. I'm sorry, Zabuza-sama, that I wasn't your perfect tool."

"Haku-chan, you might want to open your eyes before you say something embarising." I advised her.

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of my voice. She then realized the liquid on her face wasn't blood. It was the oil I used to make my prosthetic right hand work soundlessly. I had taken Kakashi's move through the middle of my forearm, using the metal to drag his attack off course so it didn't hit Haku. It was a near miss though as his hand was touching her hair.

"Hellow, everyone. Shino-san, Kiba-san, Hinata-chan, Kurenai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, bastard, banshee, and person I've never seen before." Everyone except the last three nodded my way at my greeting, many showing surprise on their faces having not expected to be greeted in such a friendly manner by an ally of someone they had just been fighting. Hinata blushing hard in embarrassment.

"Wait, the bastard is here. He's gotten better? Wohoo! Finally, we can go back now."

This sparked a memory in the jonins' minds and recognition flared in their eyes.

"Erik-san?" Kurenai spoke. "What are you doing out here?"

"Well, after nearly two years of banishment, I could be pretty much anywhere in the Elemental Nations now couldn't I? As for why here, well we had a run in with Zabuza-sensei here a month out of Konoha, and after going through a fairly hair raising experience together, he took us under his wing and trained us. Then we got a job."

Zabuza decided it was time to speak up or be left to witness to a 'Good Ol' Days' reminiscing session. "Where are Naruto and Tenten?"

Haku answered for me.

"They're behind the Leaf ninja, Zabuza-sama."

I looked over Kakashi's shoulder when I heard that.

"And he brought the village."

"Zabuza-sensei, despite all the things you have done for us, we find it now necessary to part ways, as we cannot stand by and watch you destroy the hopes of these poor people! Prepare to fight sensei!" Naruto shouted. His words were met with the approval of the croud behind him and they voiced their approval in a loud roar.

My comments; "Alright, who wrote the speech? Naruto isn't that elegant with words."

Other comments; "Nice speech boy, but this is now my country and I will do as I wish. If I want the bridge builder to die, he will die. Zabuza, the _feared_ Bloody Demon of the Mist, beaten by a bunch of kids. Good thing I wasn't planning on paying you. Boys, kill them all."

At the insult I turned around to face the Leaf ninja and asked, "Which one of you is the youngest?

Zabuza stopped me before I could continue my rant.

"Erik." That got my attention. Zabuza never used my name. "You're the only one with enough energy left to go fight them, so why don't you shut your damn mouth and focus at the task at hand, will you."

"And what might that be, Zabuza-sensei?"

"Killing our traitorous employer of course." He said. A sadistic smile played in his eyes.

"With pleasure." A smile matching Zabuza's graced my face as I placed my hand left hand on Kakashi's wrist, yanking my right hand away from him, snapping of what was left of the hand. I looked down at the stump and forming a half ram sign, I concentrated, forming for myself a new right hand. Finished I flexed it once, satisfied with the product, I stepped out in front of the charging thugs. Drawing my weapon I stood there, waiting for them to come to me. Their charge slowed down as they saw I wasn't planning on moving, and my stance radiated confidence. Deciding that the rate they were going at was to slow to wait on, I sprang forward. To them I disappeared, only to reappear in front of them, the blood of one of their own staining my clothes. The others angered attacked me. All 167 fell in the next minute.

Gato stood there, pale and trembling at my approach, taking in my blood soaked clothing and the bloody sword I carried easily in my right hand. A hand that I didn't even have two minutes ago.

"What do you want, I'll give you anything, money, women, land…"

I cut him off with a sharp rap on the forehead with the pommel of my sword, stunning him. He fell with little grace onto his fat ass. A single kick laid him out flat. Using my foot I flipped him over so he lay on his large stomach. As he started to crawl away I reached down, grabbing a handful of the suit he wore and picked him up like one would a puppy that had just crapped on the floor. Again. He started protesting his treatment immediately. All of which I ignored as I carried him across the bloody bridge, back to where Zabuza stood.

"One traitorous bastard, like you requested sir." I said, holding out the flailing bundle of lard to my teacher.

"Unfortunately I am in no shape to execute the pitiable thing. Haku, be a dear and kill him."

Haku stepped between Zabuza and Gato and forming a half ram sign formed a sword of ice in her right hand.

"Gato, for refusing to follow through on agreed upon terms of a job you wanted done, and upon refusal to pay us what you owe, you are hereby sentenced to death. Have a nice day in hell."

With that she swept the sword in a horizontal arch, cleanly removing the man's head, and nearly some of my fingers. I decided not to comment though, as I probably wouldn't have been heard over the cheers coming from the villagers.

* * *

Another week pasted by and we were on the road back to the Hidden Leaf Village, Zabuza and Haku joining us natives as we finally headed home.


	9. Return

Looking down through the morning haze the gates of Konoha rose above the trees. Two years of exile had finally come to an end for the three of us. I glanced to my left at Naruto and Tenten, my friends and companions in our banishment. We had gotten up before the rest of our group to have a private homecoming. Haku had noticed my absence from the bedroll we now shared and had quickly followed us, not that we really minded. She had almost become one of us, a rock of stability in our quickly swirling lives. It helped that she was our age. I then looked to my right to see the object of my thoughts. Her pale skin shone like glazed porcelain in the early morning light, etching her face in sharp relief. Haku was wearing a plain white kimono with no ornaments to be seen except for the Mist hunter ninja mask that she had tied to her left hip.

"Two year…" Tenten softly whispered. "I wonder how they remember us."

"However it is they'll be wrong memories." Naruto said. I smiled at that. We had changed much since we had left. Naruto didn't wear that horrid blue and orange jumpsuit anymore. Now a black, skin tight tee with the Uzumaki swirl in bright orange on the back, with loose, baggy pants, of a dark red color, silver, fingerless gloves, and black shinobi sandals, adorned his 5'6" frame. Tenten wore a loose white shirt that billowed in the wind, it's sleeves came down to her hands with a small frill of lace at the ends. A light yellowy, cream colored pants completed her outfit, tied up with a belt that held a scroll at the back of her waist. My own outfit had changed a lot as well. Instead of wearing drab grays tees with blue pants all the time I now wore a simple metal mesh vest, left open to show off the muscles I have built over the last two years from the learning of kenjutsu, and kyujutsu (1). A black pair of pants was held up with a belt of light brown leather. On my right hip was a double holster for a kunai and a dagger, complimented with a double scroll holster on my left. Over my shoulder was another belt, this one carrying the sheath of my sword. The sheath was an interesting piece of work that had caught my attention a few towns back, it was made out of a plain brown leather, unadorned except for strips of steel running down the edges so the sword wouldn't cut the leather apart. The part that had caught my attention was the fact that the leather only extended a half inch past the metal, leaving an opening running the length of the blade, exposing the blade to view.

"How about we give them a new memory to have as a grounding point for reference?" I asked curios as to how the village would react to having three of its most disliked people back inside its walls.

Naruto gave a predatory grin. "Sounds great."

Our companions had just passed us by the time we had finished our preparations so we attached ourselves to the end of the group. Naruto lead us with a two tailed fox lazily wrapped around his neck like a red scarf, in a reminder of what its summoner was. On his left and a half step behind him Tenten walked with a full sized snow leopard wearing battle armor walking on her left. I walked a half step behind Naruto on his right, the genjutsu causing seals that had covered the scars that I had acquired in my quest to master the sword, the seals that I had painted on myself over the long months of exile, and my false right hand, gone, showing all to the world. Haku walked directly behind Naruto with her hunter nin mask on, and Zabuza decided that he wanted to be part of the show and had fallen in line behind Haku.

At first upon entering the village we received no recognition, but as we delved deeper into the village we began to be noticed, until it got to the point where, as we passed through the market, all traffic on the road ceased. The crowds stood at the sides of the road, what they were doing prior to our return was completely forgotten. I smiled. Not only did we get a welcome, but we also got criers, marching before us, parting the crowds for our passage. Not that it was a warm welcome. Not at all, it was much more along the lines of, "Oh my god, the demon is back, along with those two henchmen of its." Silence reigned throughout the village as the news of our return spread and more and more people lined the street to see for themselves the return of the demon trio. The two guests to our parade confused and frightened the civilians, especially sense the large man with the huge sword wore a slashed Mist headband.

It wasn't until we arrived at the Hokage tower that the sounds of life returned to the village if largely subdued. We entered the building, leaving the populace behind us, and crossed the floor, unchallenged by the secretary, to climb the stairs, heading for the Third's office. Upon entering we stood at attention as our sensei's announced us.

"Team Seven, reporting in. Mission accomplished."

"Team Eight, reporting in. Mission accomplished."

"Team Eleven, reporting for duty, after two years of beurocratic insanity."

We all looked at Anko at that one. While many of us agreed with her it was still startling to hear her say it. Sarutobi took it in stride though, acknowledging us all with a simple nod.

"Teams Seven and Eight, you will be awarded A rank mission pay as the mission you took jumped to that level with the encountering of multiple chunin level and a jonin level opponents. You are dismissed." They bowed their heads and left us with the Hokage.

"Team Eleven, you will also be awarded A rank mission pay as you were the ones that eliminated the threat." He sat looking at us, sucking on his pipe for a moment before sighing and placing his pipe aside.

"What happened to you that you brought The Bloody Demon of the Mist and his apprentice back with you. One a missing nin and the other almost unknown and together they have a grand total of 1.5 million ryo in bounties on their heads, and yet they are here standing before me why?"

Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously for a moment before responding.

"Well you see sir," Anko and Sarutobi both raised an eyebrow at Naruto's newfound level of respect. "We fell in with them for awhile and they helped us in the time we were gone."

I blinked at the extremely abbreviated version of events. It was hard to believe that anyone would believe that story especially not the renown 'God of Shinobi.' I wasn't let down.

"I believe that may cover the basics, what exactly happened to bring you five together and where were you five months ago when Sasuke Uchiha recovered?" the Third asked, knitting his fingers together in a thinking posture as he leaned on his desk.

Before Naruto could open his mouth to start talking, Zabuza placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder, completely covering it, and asked a question in return.

"Is this room, secure?"

Sarutobi looked intrigued that he was asked this, and after closing his eyes to concentrate for a minute, he nodded.

"Is he the last of the Namikazi?" Zabuza demanded to know.

"I am not at the liberty to tell right now who his parents are, but if you were training him for the last two years, then perhaps soon." Sarutobi said, neatly dodging the question. I was intrigued by this but held my tongue as it would be unwise to ask a question that would pique Naruto's interest for he wouldn't stop searching for an answer until he was dead, exhausted all leads, or got his answer. I had found out just how hard it was to keep a secret from him at Whirlpool about my summons, and had finally given up as it wasn't worth the energy to keep him from finding out.

Zabuza didn't like this answer but decided that it was in his best interest to postpone his query. After all, it is unwise to pick a fight with the 'God of Shinobi' without substantial back up, of which he had none. However he had little time to fume at his inability to satisfy his curiosity as he was addressed by the Hokage's next comment.

"You know that if you wish to stay here you will need to become a Konoha shinobi. After all we can't have a missing nin wondering around Konoha, it would make us look bad to the world, and ruffle more than a few feathers because of the way you went rouge."

I smirked at this. Few attacked their own kage, and only an extremely minute number of those live to tell the tale, while the kage still lived. Zabuza was one of those few. He told no one the details but something went wrong in the plan, whether it was a traitor or an unexpected ally to the Mizukage, and he was forced to give up the coup de eta. But not before his coconspirators had slaughtered the Daimyo of the Land of Water. Most of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist were in on the plot and now most of them were missing nin.

Zabzua, while didn't like the idea knew that the old man was speaking the truth, growled out an acknowledgment.

"What do I have to do?"

Sarutobi smiled and, opening a drawer in his desk, pulled out to copies of a packet of papers. Handing one to Zabuza and one to Haku, he then pulled out two Leaf headbands.

"Fill these out. We will have a spar to test your skills in a moment."

For the next minute the scratching of the pens was all that was heard in the office. Naruto rapidly grew bored with this and took out a rubber ball to work on the Resengan. I noticed this and remembered when we had learned it.

Flashback

"Hey guys look at this!" Naruto called excitedly from where he was going through scrolls. We had just come back from Whirlpool and were sorting out the scrolls until Naruto had called us over. Haku was with Zabuza as he had requested her presence.

"What is it?" Tenten asked, she looked over his shoulder at the scroll rather than wait for an answer though, not that one seemed forthcoming.

I got to where they were and started reading the scroll. What was on it took my breath away in shock.

_My name is Minato Namikazi, Forth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the infamous Yellow Flash. I was tasked by my predecessor, the Professor Third Hokage, God of Shinobi, Hiruzen Sarutobi, to write down the makings of the Jutsu I have created._

_The Resengan_

_Take a filled water balloon, and swirl the water inside to the point where the balloon pops using nothing but your chakra._

_Once you have mastered the water balloon, do the same with a rubber ball._

_When you have mastered both previous steps, do the same with pure chakra manipulation. _

At that point Naruto had dropped the scroll and ran off to our tents in search of the scolls we had sealed everything in when we had been kicked out of Leaf. Tenten scrambled after him to make sure that everything was put back right, so we could find whatever we needed next time we went searching. I picked up the fallen scroll.

'He wrote Jutsu, as in plural. Did he put the Flying Thunder God in here as well?'

I took a breath, my body trembling with eagerness, before I further unfurled the scroll.

There it was. The Flying Thunder God Jutsu. Easily the deadliest jutsu to be made ever, with over a thousand kills to its credit in just a little over two months. The only jutsu to be credited with ending a war with bloodshed.

_The Flying Thunder God Jutsu is an elemental manipulation jutsu of the highest caliber. To successfully recreate this jutsu one must have two things. One must be well intuned with one's base element. One must also have a specialized kunai or other form of a marker to use as a base for the jutsu._

I looked down at my hand and holding it away from the scroll ignited the air around it using my chakra.

'One down. One to make.'

With that I sped off back to Whirlpool to make myself a marker, leaving a note for Haku.

_Found epic jutsu, off to practice._

Flashback end

I fingered the dagger that rested on my left hip. Hidden from view was its black blade inscribed with the seal that had turned red in response to the element I had used to create my own version of the Flying Thunder God Jutsu. Seeing as how I had made it off said jutsu and how one couldn't use said jutsu unless your elemental type was lightning, I had named mine the Flying Fire God Jutsu. I hadn't gone on to the second step of Resengan training as, while we had a large number of water balloons for pranking we had only a dozen or so rubber balls.

I started watching Haku as she filled out the papers, her pen quickly flowing across the page. Her penmanship, like herself, was beautiful and graceful. Noticing that I was watching her, a small smile graced her lips. Shortly she finished and handed back the papers to Sarutobi. Noting how slowly Zabuza was going through the paper work, Haku spoke up.

"Hokage-sama, perhaps it would be best to start the testing now. Zabuza isn't anywhere near as fast of hand as I am."

Zabuza grunted an affirmative to this so Hiruzen stood and walked over to us before engulfing us all in a body flicker. I stumbled upon landing, looking around, I noticed that Naruto and Tenten did so to. Yeah we knew the technique, but that was their first time someone else had taken them, and I've never been set on my feet before.

Around us stood one of the largest caves I had seen, it's walls had been smoothed out to a height of about ten feet, then continued, naturally rough, to an easy fifty feet above our heads. End to end the cave stretched about a half mile and was more than a quarter mile wide at its widest point. Many tunnels connected to the cavern we were in, but they all stood quiet, no traffic flowed through this place.

"You are allowed to do anything, as even I can't damage these walls. Minato created the seals that stop the damage and no one can figure out how he did it. You may name your opponents. I would like to see you three fight as well." The old kage said, before putting his pipe back in his mouth.

'I thought he left his pipe on his desk. Wait we can name our opponents? Who should I pick?'

I distantly heard Zabuza call out Kakashi, saying he needs a rematch. For the third time he was defeated, though there were several times when it looked like Zabuza would win.

"Haku-san, your next. Who would you like to fight?" Sarutobi asked, puffing away at his pipe.

"I would like to face someone of mid-chunin strength. I've never really had to fight much as Zabuza-sama took care of that. However his training regime is brutal and I think I can handle a skilled opponent."

He nodded and, within a minute, Iruka-sensei appeared in the cave.

"Hokage-sama, you summoned me?"

"Yes, I require you to test this young ladies strength, and then I wish for you to get reacquainted with some students of yours."

That was when Naruto noticed Iruka's appearance. He turned into a missile and crashed into Iruka.

"Iruka-sensei, I'm back!" His voice was somewhat muffled by Iruka's shirt.

"Hey, Naruto. It's good to see you to, but Hokage-sama has given me a task, so please, wait a bit."

"Ok, don't take it easy on her, it just pisses her off, and when she's pissed off, she gets scary." He said the last part in a conspiratorial whisper, that wasn't toned down enough.

"You do know I can hear you, right?"

Naruto's eyes widened and he ran behind me, seeking to use me as a shield.

Haku shook her head as she stepped out to face Iruka. She settled into a relaxed stance with her feet slightly wider than her shoulders, feet facing forward, with both knees slightly bent. She then slid her right foot slightly back so she was heel to toe, while she brought her left hand up to form the combat sign, holding her right hand at her thigh. I noticed the glint of metal in her hand and realized that she was holding senbon needles between her fingers. Iruka settled into the academy basic stance much to our surprise.

"When you're ready." Iruka said.

"Very well then."

With that her arm blurred as she cast the needles at him. Iruka ducked and charged her, engaging Haku in a taijutsu match. After a short while, Haku started using one hand to sign for her trump card, Demonic Ice Mirrors Jutsu. Iruka stoped when the mirrors formed around him only to be forced back into motion as Haku started throwing needles at him. Suddenly light filled the dome and one of the mirrors shattered as a lighting coated kunai shot through. Slowly the entire dome collapsed, revealing Iruka panting slightly, and Haku staring at him, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"Hokage-sama, I wish to forfeit this match. He defeated my trump card, nothing else I have stands up to it."

Sarutobi nodded and motioned Iruka over to Naruto, who started talking to him, catching up on the two years of absence. He then turned to Tenten and me.

"Which one of you would like to go next?"

"I would Hokage-sama," Tenten said, "But I don't know anyone well enough to pick an opponent."

"You're still a long range fighter right?"

"Yes sir."

He puffed on his pipe for a bit well he thought before calling out.

"Bear-san, you have a challenger."

Suddenly a giant of a man appeared via the Body Flicker. He easily stood at 6'6 and his shoulders were probably around fifty inches around. He really was a bear of a man, built for strength, his body not showing the signs of speed that one saw in most ninja.

"Yes sir." With that he adopted a crouched position, looking like a coiled spring, ready to launch himself across the floor.

Tenten stood before him, about twenty yards away, with her right foot, pointing towards Bear, her body angled out at a forty five as her left foot was directly perpendicular to her right. Her right hand rested against her thigh, a kunai held in a loose grasp, her left hand holding another kunai behind her back.

"Begin."

Immediately both moved, Bear charging across the twenty yards only to be forced off his path as the two kunai embedded themselves into the floor. He saw her with more knives in her hands and started running through hand signs, finishing as he touched the floor.

"Stone Armor Jutsu."

Just as the earth engulfed his body another pair of kunai glanced off the stone. Immediately afterwards the stone shattered as Bear charged, only to jump aside as more knives split the air where he had been not a second before. Again, he ran through signs as he moved through the air, to finish as he landed.

"Stone Wall Jutsu."

The wall blocked the knives. Suddenly he jumped to the side, staying behind the wall, just before a lightning wrapped kunai smashed a fist sized hole through the wall where he had been hiding. Apparently Tenten didn't know what direction he had dodged to as suddenly she ran at the wall and jumped to the top using it as a spring board to get higher into the air to keep distance between herself and her opponent. He must have heard the tap of her foot on the top of the wall as his head snapped up to follow her movement before replicating it. Right as Tenten finished her flip to face the ground, his fist smashed into her chest sending her flying away. When she hit the ground more than thirty yards away, she rolled for a good ten yards before coming to a stop. Bear landed lightly on the balls of his feet, his arms hanging loose at his sides, reaching down to his ankles because of his crouched position. A minute passed before, he relaxed and turned. After taking a couple of steps, his body tensed up before falling over. Tenten stood, arm outstretched after her through, her shirt torn from the ground and splattered with the blood that was dripping out of her mouth.

"Whatever happened to 'don't turn your back on an enemy until you know their dead? Eric-kun, your right about them thinking a still enemy is a dead enemy."

I rolled my eyes at this, "How often am I wrong about these things?"

She started walking over to the fallen man shaking her head at my words. "You know the answer to that is rarely." Haku joined her at the body of Bear and delicately plucked the needles from his neck.

"Anko-san, take him to the medics." Sarutobi said, a slight smile showing on his lips.

"Yes sir." A double body flicker took her to the body and then off to the medical wing of the ANBU hq.

"Eric-kun, would you care to go next?" Sarutobi's voice pierced my revere. I glanced over to where Naruto was and saw he was thoroughly engrossed in his conversation with Iruka-sensei.

"Yes I think I will. I wish to face the Sword Master of the Leaf. "

A look of surprise crossed the old man's face before he motioned with his hand and a lady walked out of the shadows of the tunnel behind him. A muted off white battle kimono covered her body, with slits up the side of the legs to allow for greater movement of the legs, running up to just above her hips, showing pants of the same color. At her waist an unadorned black leather belt held her katana. Her face was covered by an ANBU mask adorned with a stylized cat face.

"So a brat of a kid wants to challenge me. Any limits you would like to impose?"

"No killing moves, and no intentional maiming, everything else goes."

She nodded and settled into a rather basic stance, with her right foot back, both hands on the katana, and her shoulders slightly turned to her right. A typical earthen stance. I grinned, this would be fun. I crouched slightly across from her, my left hand pulling my dagger out slightly, while my right reached up to my sword and started easing it out of the sheath.

"Begin."

I darted out at her singing my sword out in a double overhand blow, intending to either break the blade or crush her defense. With a clang our swords met over her head, and I noted I had managed neither, though her arms did shake a little from holding back the blow. After a moment we both jumped back from the other and we started circling each other. I was amused when she abandoned the earthen pose and adopted a more water like pose, rather ironic for her cat mask.

'This will be fun.' A rather disturbing grin settled on my face as I pulled out my dagger and rushed her again, engaging her with both blades. Rather than block, she started to parry my strikes as my strength was slightly more than hers and it would tire her out ridiculously fast to stop the full power of my swings. We danced for a full minute before breaking apart again.

"You know, you're not half bad, but I've had enough of this. Prepare to lose. "

With that she disappeared from my vision. My eyes widened as my bloodline screamed a warning to me as she swung her sword in a downward strike at my head from behind. I managed to get my sword in the way, holding it like I was about to sheath it, while thrusting back with my dagger, forcing her to jump backwards to avoid the blade. Pivoting on my right foot I brought my sword around to slice only air as she once again disappeared. Grunting I slammed my dagger into its sheath before calling on my bloodline to make myself another sword.

"What the hell?" Her voice shook with disbelief and fear, as she stood in awe of the act I had just committed.

"It's called the Metalsinger bloodline girl. Now get back here and let's fight." I called out, turning to face her again.

She stood for a moment before reaching up her right sleeve and pulling out a kunai. This she gripped in a reverse hold before springing at me, going faster than she had at any time in the fight previously. She got close and engaged me in a fight at speeds that not even Zabuza could hit. Not even ten seconds passed before she slipped inside my guard and bashed my head with the hilt of her katana. I stumbled back a step before snarling as my berserker rage took over. I then attacked her with a furry that she was surprised to see. I quickly pushed her across the floor as she was forced to employed both weapons to keep me from landing a hit. Shortly I wound up pressing her against the wall of the cavern. Feeling the wall at her back she jumped up onto it ass I lunged at her. Seeing her on the wall I jumped at her and we continued the fight on the wall. Over the course of the next hour we fought in every corner of the cave, dancing around our audience, across the walls, on the ceiling, until we came to a stop nearby where we had started.

"I haven't been pressed this hard sense I was a genin apprentice under Hayate Gekkou. You're pretty good kid." She panted, her sword held at the ready in front of her and the kunai at her side. Both held nicks in the blade from clashing with my sword, and were in such a condition that I would be amazed if they held up for much longer, but it looked like they would get a break as I was just in bad condition as she was. My calves ached from exertion and my lungs burned for air. While I wasn't near as fast as her, I had trained my reflexes up to the point where it didn't matter. My strength was just barely over hers but she could use chakra to negate that. My body had been pushed to its limits and was about to give out, like my berserker rage had seeing that neither of us had landed a blow on the other, outside of the hit that had put me in that state.

"That was a good fight kid, maybe sometime we'll actually find out which one of us is better, but right now I'm to tiered to care, I'm running on less than two hours of sleep in the last three days, so some other time alright?"

I nodded and sheathed my sword and pulled the other one back inside my body, turning back to my friends. Suddenly my bloodline screamed at me again and I pivoted, bringing up my arm to block the downward swing, to see the end of her sword break off and go skidding across the floor.

"You owe me a sword bastard."

"You should be glad it lasted as long as it did," I countered. "Every other sword I have faced with one that I have made has broken within five minutes. Where did you get that sword anyway?"

"The Tiger Claw Smithy, why?"

I held out my hand and she handed the broken hilt to me. Taking the sword I started unwrapping the leather around the grip. After unwrapping the hilt I turned the sword looking for John's mark. Near the cross guard I found it and next to it was my own mark. I smiled at this. The only sword I had smithed here in Leaf, had found its way into the hands of the Sword Master of Leaf. It was a major ego booster.

"That explains a lot."

With that I cast the broken sword down and walked away.

"Wait. What explains a lot? What about my sword? You owe me a new one."

I turned my head and spoke over my shoulder, "Come by the Tiger Claw Smithy and there'll be a new one for you in a couple of days."

I walked off, ignoring her protests. Haku greeted me as I got back to my friends were.

"You did well, Erik-kun."

"I guess."

I sat down, leaning against the wall to rest, as Hiruzen walked over to Naruto and Iruka to test Naruto. Suddenly a voice echoed out of the tunnel to our left.

"I'll fight the gaki."

"Jiraiya-kun, it's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you to Sensei. We'll talk business later; I want to see how well Naruto can fight after two years under the wing of the Bloody Demon of the Mist."

"Very well. Naruto, it's time for your match."

"Alright Old Man."

Naruto got up from where he had been talking to Iruka at and walked out a ways from the rest of us, assuming a brawlers stance, legs bent with toes pointing outwards, arms loosely clenched at his sides.

"Let's fight!"

"Aren't you eager? Maybe I should cool your temper down a little."

Jiraiya smirked at him, more than confident that he could win this in a minute.

"Begin."

Both shot out as if from a canon, and clashed in an intense taijutsu match that neither seemed to be winning. Jiraiya wasn't smiling anymore. Suddenly Jiraiya broke off the fist fest and ran trough a string of signs in a second. I didn't hear the name of the jutsu but his white hair grew enormous and wrapped Naruto head to toe.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Naruto called, and with a poof of smoke, a large, black fox with four tails appeared.

I blinked. He had just used the summoning jutsu without hand signs or a blood sacrifice. (2) That was something I haven't even tried to do. Fuck that, not even Zabuza did that!

"Naruto you will never cease to amaze me." I murmured, to feel Haku nod her head in agreement.

Jiraiya had by this time summoned a large toad to fight the fox, but they were standing there, not moving from the spot they had been summoned, except for the tails of the fox moving in a nonexistent wind.

Suddenly the tails shot forward, seeking to grab the toads limbs to restrain it. The toad jumped over the tails, soaring over the fox. It then dispelled directly over the fox, letting Jiraiya dive bomb on Naruto with a Resengan in his hand. Naruto quickly pulled out a clone and made a Resengan as well to face the one that Jiraiya had. For a moment nothing happened, upon the impact of the two, then with a great keening sound Naruto's gave out, shoving him down into the fox, resulting in the dispelling of the beast.

Naruto lay in a creator, with Jiraiya standing over him, a Resengan whirling in his hand, ready to hit Naruto with it should he moved.

"In the twenty seconds that lasted Naruto used more than ten times the amount of chakra I did in less than one one hundredth the amount of time I used it in. And yet he can keep going if he feals the need to." I shook my head, this boy was insane.

I closed my eyes and ears to the sounds of the continued fight as hundreds of Narutos dogpiled the sannin. After a few more minutes Haku poked my side, bringing me out of my meditation.

"Hokage-sama would like to speak to us in his office."

I looked around to find the cavern empty except for us. I sighed and, after grabbing Haku, used the Body Flicker to take us to the Hokage office.

"Now that you're all here I would like to say something." Hiruzen said, once again puffing on his pipe. "You three learned a lot during your travels and have made me proud to call you shinobi of the Leaf. In two weeks time you will be joining your fellow genin to represent us in the Chunin Exams. Train hard, and do us proud. You are dismissed."

* * *

(1) Sword techniques and bow techniques, respectively.

(2) Like a container that holds a liquid in it has the liquid still in it after it is pored out, so to is the body with chakra. The blood especially holds a large amount of untapped chakra. Blood, coupled with a seal, can be used instead of chakra and hand signs to make any nin- or gen-jutsu.


	10. First real mission

The next week saw us return to what most ninja would call a normal existence, for the most part. However, after two years of running one gets accustomed to the thrill of an adrenalin rush and old habits become hard to break.

"Hey brat, get back here!"

Their calls chased me faster than they did. The slow chunins set to watch this precinct of Konoha, not having gone on combat missions for a while, and being lax in their training had made them slow.

'They can't catch me.' I casually looked back over my shoulder to see them falling further and further behind. I came to a crashing halt though, as I slammed into something, almost suffered a case of whiplash from the speed at which my head slammed forward, trying to continue my early movement. Stumbling for a moment before regaining my balance I looked at what I had hit. A large man, of around 6'2, and built like a bear stood before me, dressed in regulation ANBU gear, the man had, rather appropriately, a bear mask covering his face.

"I'm sorry, Bear-san, I didn't see you there."

"It's rather hard to see what's in front of you if you are looking behind yourself... brat." His fist lashed out and struck me across the face, but before I went flying off from the blow, his hand opened and grasped my shoulder, yanking me back towards him. I braced myself for another blow, but instead he allowed me to hit the roof, knocking the breath out of me. While I was down recovering my breath he crouched down behind me and grabbed my hands, yanking them behind me and lashing them together. I didn't have to look to know that my hands had been tied using the chakra absorbing ties that all ANBU carried around. Bear stood when he was done, and picked me up and tossed me upon his shoulder like a sack of potatoes one could buy at a store. I looked up at the horizon, wishing to be away from the rules again, despite the fact that I knew that once I was out there I would long for the safety and friendship offered by this village.

"Thank you for catching the brat, we'll take him for here." The chunins had finally caught up and were showing their incompetence to Bear with their ragged breathing. He looked at them for a moment before replying.

"Hokage-sama wants him." With that he turned and braced to jump away to the next building. As he turned one of the chunin swung at me. Seeing this, my chakra surged to the seal that I now used to control my summon/transformation technique. I managed to stop the surge and only let enough through to the seal to change my facial features somewhat. I opened my mouth and caught his fist between my now sharpened teeth. Sinking my teeth into his skin I watched in amusement at the horrified look that was upon his face. I let go with a sickening squelching sound, and licked my lips clean of his blood.

"It's not nice to swing at a defeated man. Let's not keep the Hokage waiting Bear-san."

The sudden movement that followed almost made me lose what was in my stomach. I let my eyes unfocussed as we sped over the rooftops.

"Was it really necessary to drink his blood?" He asked me quietly.

"All blood tastes good to my summon, besides it wouldn't look good to show up in front of the Hokage with blood on my lips like I am some animal that was having a snack of raw flesh."

After that the only noise I heard was the roar of the wind as we sped across the village for the next minute. I closed my eyes to it all and entered a state of meditation of sorts, while not full meditation, as I was still conscious, to a degree, of the outside world, but my focus was within. Suddenly I found myself flying, no support from the man that had been carrying me just moments ago. I let myself go limp, totally relaxing all my muscles. I was glad that I was in the semi meditation state or fear would have tightened my body. It is said that an unconscious man can fall for over a mile and survive because the muscles in his body would relax to an extent that the bones can flex and absorb the shock of impact. Weather this is true or not I do know that one can fall a long ways and walk it off if one can relax. I felt wood underneath me at the same instant I saw a window frame appear in my field of vision. Flexing my legs I let myself roll and used my momentum and a flexed neck to flip onto my feet. At the same time I slashed the ties on my wrists using my bloodline sharpened nails. Landing lightly on my feet I didn't acknowledge the people in the room for a minute as I rubbed the welts that were starting to rise on my wrists.

'He didn't have to tie them so tight… this isn't the view out of the Hokage's window. This is…'

"Was it Hokage-sama, or was it the nefarious council that has summoned me?" I looked over my shoulder at the room full of people that seemed out to ruin my life, and the lives of my friends.

"Ah, don't speak so cruelly of us, we just want to help." Tsume replied, a teasing smirk on her face. The Inuzuka head was probably the only one person on the council who I would call a friend. Other than her helpful vote the only ones I can count on to be at least neutral vote were Shikaku Nara, Shino's dad whose name I don't couldn't remember for the life of me, and the old man Hokage himself, who despite the incredible fondness he held for Naruto and myself, would vote for the village, and would do so even if it meant that he and his family would have to die. He truly deserved respect for that.

"Eric Scydling, you are once again brought before the council on charges of criminal misbehavior. Do you have anything to say for yourself this time?" the Aburame head spoke.

I raised an eyebrow at the charge, "I wasn't aware that pranking was against the law."

Tsume let out a bark of laughter, "He got you old coots good there."

The Aburame head sighed. "Ever since you three have returned you have been causing a public disturbance wherever you go." He waved his hand at a corner of the room, beconing me to look there. I did and saw Tenten with her hands tied before her and Naruto trussed up like a wild boar, with his hands and feet bound together and a gag between his teeth, hanging from a pole held by to members of ANBU. I walked over to them and before anyone could lift a finger in protest their bonds were slashed. As I helped Naruto to stand I casually threw a challenge over my shoulder.

"Were we creating the disturbances or were the civilians creating the disturbances? I seem to remember the latter in all but my latest case." When I looked back at the clan heads, many of the ninja clan heads had a small smile on their faces. It was perhaps one of the worst kept secrets out there that the ninja and civilian councils didn't see eye to eye and often saw a decision made by the other to be a slight towards themselves.

"Anyway it has been decided that you three will get one more chance. Blow it and you will be banished again." This time it was Hinata's dad, Hiashi that spoke. "You will each be given a mission as a way to vent some of that energy you have, when you return you will enter the chunin exams. We will see what will happen from there."

"And the mission rank?" I inquired.

No one spoke for a minute, until Tsume responded in a sad voice. "A rank."

'A rank? That's the level of missions that elite jonin and ANBU go on! Do they really expect that we will survive?'

The Third waved his hand. Another hand placed itself on my shoulder and guided me out of the room, following Naruto, Tenten, and their own ANBU escort.

"Nice entrance." Bear's voice whispered into my ear.

"That doesn't mean you can just drop someone." I hissed back. It was quiet for a moment before he responded.

"There are four things you need to be a good fighter. First, eyes; you need to be able to understand the situation. Second, feet; know where you are and how the terrain will affect you, know yourself and how you fight, know your position. Third, heart; have the courage to go on no matter the odds. Fourth, power; being able to dish out better than you receive in every encounter. Your friend Tenten has excellent eyes and Naruto has awesome power and courage for someone his age. You, however, have the best understanding of feet I have ever seen, with the only possible exceptions being the Hokages I've met and a few members of ANBU. I wanted to see how you reacted to that situation and you handled it much better than I thought. That doesn't mean I'll forgive you for slashing my ties. You will have to pay me back for them."

His hand tightened on my shoulder as he said this and I knew that if I were to try to skimp on the money I would regret it.

Suddenly his hand forced me to the right, into and open doorway and forced me to sit down in the chair that wasn't occupied by one of my friends. In front of us was Ibiki, sitting behind a desk. On our side of the desk were three manila foulders, each one filled with papers.

"We have talked with your sensei's on this one and they have all agreed that you three are competent enough to handle this. Understand now, if anything escapes this room, all three of you will be executed on charges of treason, even if only one of you squeaked. Now recently the Daimyo has heard mutterings at his court of civil war. With the help of our spies we have traced their sources back to four men. Your mission will to be to assassinate these four men."

With that he each handed us a folder and continued as we looked inside the folder we had been given.

"You three must know this, until you step back in this room with the signet rings of these people you are not Ninja of the Leaf. You are merely hired assassins. No names hired by jealous rivals. Read and memorize the information within the folder you have been given. You will be working by yourself. You will stay here for the rest of the afternoon. Before leaving you will burn the folders. At dusk you will be blindfolded and lead outside the village and pointed in the direction of your target. When you have completed the assignment will arrive at the specified location and will be escorted back within the village."

With that he stepped out of the room followed by our escorts. The click of the lock echoed in the room. I looked down at the open folder in my hands, then at my friends. Tenten's face was pale, almost a deathly white, and she looked frightened, staring at her hands. Naruto looked… shell-shocked, his brain looping on one thing, repeating like a skipping CD.

"You guys," I started knowing that they didn't like the idea of killing.

"Shut the hell up! Do you think that we want to hear another lecture about how easy it is to kill?" Tenten shouted, "How easy it is to take another's life? To end someone's existence?" She broke down crying and that seemed to snap Naruto out of his mental skipping. He put down his folder and hugged her crying form, attempting to ease her mental anguish.

"Thought that last one is controversial, that isn't what I was going to say. Do I really seam that much like Zabuza-sensei to you that you would accuse me of being heartless? Just because I am ruthless on the battlefield doesn't mean that I am that way with my friends." I sighed, and rubbed my face with my hands. "Think of it this way. An assassins job is to end a life so another might be saved. There is no war as bloody as a civil war. When a nation turns on itself, when ideals clash, families will fight each other, brother against brother, father against son, mother against daughter… Civil war brings more heartache, more pain, more death, more destruction than any other war. Do you know the death rate of the Third Shinobi War?"

Despite their seeming indifference of my words, they both knew that I knew they were listening, as shown by the calming of Tenten's crying and her answer.

"It was about one in five, right?"

I nodded. "The bloodiest of the great wars left a death rate of one in five shinobi. Ninja make up less than five percent of a nations fighting force. We make up less than one tenth of a percent of a nation's population. Civil wars have been known to kill up to one in ten of everyone."

Tenten's crying had stopped but she didn't look entirely convinced. Naruto however saw what I was trying to convey.

"So we must kill to save."

"Yes. Our job as shinobi is to be the shadows. Always present, always watching, waiting to eliminate any threat to the people we protect. That is where we differ from bounty hunters. They kill for money, we kill to protect. Like any army, we kill to protect, whether it be those close to us, or ideals that we live by, we kill to protect. "

I returned my attention back to the papers in my hand and set about memorizing what was printed on them.

_Name; Akane Chosokabe_

'Wait, four _men?'_

I flipped through the pages before coming to another name.

_Name; Ino Date_

'Great, I have to kill two women, just my luck. Damn you fox for taking all the luck in this village and giving it to Naruto! Lucky bastard.'

* * *

**AN:** This was going to be one long chapter, combined with the next one, but it started getting rather long and I wasn't even half way done with the chapter, so I looked for a stopping point and that was it. Sorry it took so long to update, my muse decided it was time for vacation without telling me and only just got back.

Please review.


	11. Assasin

It seemed like it was only minutes before Ibiki came back for us. We burned the folders before him, were blindfolded and lead out by our escort. When I was allowed to see again, the sight that greeted me was a moonlit forest nearby a river that sounded just around the next tree.

"Don't die. It would be such a shame for someone with your potential to die so young." Those were Bear's parting words before he disappeared before my eyes.

I then climbed up the nearest tree and holding a map in my mind's eye came to realize where I was. Surprisingly I was more than twenty miles from Konoha. I tightened the straps of the bag I was given by Bear, and set off into the night.

* * *

The next day I arrived at the town that held my first target. It was a little place that had only recently even appeared on the map as it was so small that it barely received any attention. The only reason it was here was a small family run iron mine that didn't even have that great of iron.

_Name; Akane Chosokabee_

_Age; 32_

_Description; 5'4, slight in build, black hair, grey eyes, thin eyebrows, likes to wear kimonos of light purples_

_Family; widowed daughter of the mine owner, will inherit mine as eldest child_

'Such an unnoticeable person in an unnoticeable town. This should be fairly easy.'

I had to wander throughout the village twice to find the one inn. With the only business entering or leaving the place was the teamsters that moved the iron down to the nearest river, they didn't need a big place, but I had expected it to be more than an empty house next to the owner's house. I waited until night to slip out a window and travel by roof to the biggest house in town. It, just like the rest of the town, was small and antiquated. It was still the nicest building around though. It was easy to slip in. Trees grew up all around the house giving me access to the second story windows, many of which were open to let in the cool of the night air. I slipped in one and started searching the rooms looking for my target. When I had finally found her, I found her sleeping with a man.

'So much for easy. From what I know of her, she doesn't seem the type to know how to fight and the man looks like he can handle himself in a fist fight at least.'

I crept over to the sleeping couple, watching them for any sign of wakefulness. Having lane awake beside Haku so many times I knew the difference between one who is asleep and one who is faking sleep. I reached the man's side without any mishap, only to reach another complication, he was laying on his side. It's easy to kill someone who is laying on their back or front as all the vital organs are near the middle of the body and it only takes a basic knowledge of human anatomy to create a silent, instant kill. However when they are laying on their side it throws a variable into the equation. _Just how far from normal does gravity pull one's organs?_

I wasn't very knowledgeable of anatomy anyway so I immediately threw out chest organs.

'That leaves the throat and the eyes.'

Even though there are seven holes in the human skull only two are truly usable as a way to pierce through to the brain. The mouth requires opening and a deep thrust. The nose would send pain waves that would make the victim cry out as the knife cuts through the flesh, same with the ears. The seventh hole was for the throat and spinal cord. One might as well cut the throat rather than aim for the brain. The problem with a throat kill is that it isn't instantaneous, while being unable to cry out they could still thrash about and cause a ruckus.

'Eye it is.'

I slowly placed my kunai just before his eyelid and positioned for a thrust to the brain. When I was satisfied that I could hit the brain quick enough to prevent a noise I thrust, blood erupting from the wound with a spurt that cleared the mattress he was laying on and hit the floor with a splatter.

'Shit!'

"Shika…" Came a sleepy moan form the other form on the mattress.

I looked up hoping for a place to hide and found it much to my relief. The building was old and didn't have a closed ceiling, thus showing the beams that held the roof to the world. I jumped up and wrapped my legs around one, letting go with my arms so I could be free to move them for a kill if the opportunity came up.

"Shika, did you hear something? Shika? Shika, answer me… "

A quiet gasp alerted me to her finding out of the death of her companion.

"I know you're here." She said quietly as she rose to the formal sitting position, facing her now dead lover. As she rose the sheets fell away reveling her nude body to the world. Her pale skin shown earily in the moonlight streaming in the window to my left. Luckily I had thought to jump over her in case she exposed her back in morning of her lover. While no morning happened, she did expose her back. I stayed silent, hanging from the ceiling like a spider waiting to bite my target. After several minutes passed in silence, she bowed her head and whispered,

"Could it be that I am mistaken as to the cause of your death, Shika?"

With her head bowed her hair fell from her shoulders to veil her face, showing the pale skin of her upper neck. Smiling to myself I pulled back my hand to throw the knife. While not the thrower that Tenten was, I rarely missed the point I aimed for at five yards. Something alerted her though when I threw, as she pulled the sheets around to catch the knife before it could hit her. Now standing, with the sheets in her right hand she pulled the knife free with her left, while her eyes scanned the beams among which I hid. Finally her eyes alighted on me as I prepared for her to throw the weapon back.

"Why don't you come down here and great death, assassin?" She hissed anger showing on her face.

I held my position for a minute before letting go of the beam and letting myself fall to the floor, ducking my head I landed on my shoulders and rolled forward towards the woman, pulling out a pair of daggers as I rolled into a kneeling position swinging out with both. Rather than trying to block the woman jumped backwards to avoid the blow.

I stayed crouched for a moment, examining her stance. It was fairly decent but was a very basic stance that didn't allow for extreme movements. It was useful in a fight with someone on your level, but I was nowhere near her level. I rose to my feet, both blades held before me with my left held in a reverse grip.

"You're the first woman to ever fight me nude." I commented, letting my eyes roam her body. Her age was starting to show as her breasts sagged, and crow's feet were starting to show around her eyes. She still looked good though, with her slender legs, nicely curved hips, and a flat stomach. My wondering eyes did what I intended and were making angry.

"You better be enjoying the show, bastard, for it's the last thing you'll see!" She snarled. She braced her legs, tensing for any movement from me, but with my refusal to attack, as I preferred to just stand and look at her, aggravating her to the point that she lunged at me, the knife she had caught in her right hand arching overhead in a downward slash. I raised my left hand and caught the knife on my dagger, while bringing my right hand forward, thrusting it into her stomach. Her eyes widened in pain, and with a quick twist of my wrist I wrenched the knife from her hand, sending it up into the air. Pushing the knife deeper into her stomach, I felt my hand touch her flesh. With a push I threw her to the ground, where she curled up, clutching her bleeding stomach. Looking up, I caught the knife, and after cleaning it, put it back in my sleeve holster.

"You're an idiot." I said as I approached her. "Never believe an assassin will be an easy kill, for if they were, they'll have already died. There is no room for lack of ability in this line of work, and death is the punishment for failure."

She looked at me with wide, fearful, pain-filled eyes.

"Now be a good girl and die quietly."

With that I thrust my dagger into her heart, with only a slight gasp escaping her lips to betray her death. Wiping my blades on the sheets I sheathed them and left through the window.

Clouds had moved in while I was inside and now they scudded across the sky, occasionally covering the moon, preventing its light from reaching the ground. I scurried through these shadows as I left the compound and hurried across town to the place I was staying. After gathering my belongings, I left town, having paid for the night when I entered the inn.

* * *

It was a couple of days before I reached the castle in which my other target resided. The day after I had left the last town, I had been running through the rain, much to my annoyance. However I wanted to get this over with so I could get back to Haku, so I ran on. As I reached the town in which I was to kill Ino Date, I realized why this was an A rank mission. This next kill would have to be completely without notice or played in a way to divert attention or I wouldn't make it out of the city alive. More than 10,000 souls resided within the outer wall of the city and at the city heart stood an ancient castle with another three rings of walls. In total, more than 1500 soldiers guarded this place between the city garrison and the castle guards. If I were to slip up, all of them would desire my head.

Around the town most of the forest had been cleared away for the farmers that lived within or nearby the town, however on the east side of the town, the forest reached within 30 yards of the wall. I climbed up one of the trees in this section of forest to look out over the town and plan my assault.

The next day I entered the line of those who wished to enter the city. My pack in a little knothole as I had eaten all the food given in it and the only other thing that I was given was a blanket. The blanket was now being employed as a wrap for three katanas that I was bringing with me as part of my cover story. Under the guise of a sword collector I would head to the town's weapon smith and hopefully get a way into the castle. If not, I had gotten past the wall with the heaviest armed presence and would set up in an inn to make my move that night. My own sword sat at my hip as to be readily available incase something were to go wrong. Slowly the line inched forwards as people worked their way through the checkpoint. It was three hours past dawn when I finally reached the gate.

"Halt. Hand over your papers."

A rather short, squat man, with ill fitting armor stopped me at the gate. Around him about six others dressed in similar, ill fitting armor and spears lazed around the gate. Their poor armor and badge marking them as members of the city garrison showed them to be common foot soldiers, people who knew the sword, but didn't live by it like a samurai does.

I wordlessly handed him the papers that I had been given for this very occasion. I looked around, pretending to be bored with the proceedings, instead of sweating bullets like I actually was.

I turned when I heard the sound of horses behind me. Coming up beside the line were three on horseback. A young girl leading with a pair of samurai guards flanking her. The one on her left held a spear upon which was the family crest.

'That must be Ino Date… she looks to be around fourteen, not nineteen, like the papers said.

_Name; Ino Date_

_Age; 19_

_Discription; 5'2, appears younger than 19,is often seen in pants as she enjoys being outdoors and in particular, riding horses. Likes to wear muted colors._

I watched them ride up to the gate at a slow trot. The horses were breathing heavily as if they had been on a long run until just recently. Upon a white stallion sat Ino, a light blue shirt and brown trousers pulled tight against her curves, accentuating them in a slightly provocative way.

"What have we here?" She asked as they reined in their horses to a stop at the gate.

"He claims to be a travelling sword collector. Apparently goes by the name of Aio Kenchi. Hey, kid, hand over the bag."

I finally pulled my gaze away from the girl and looked at the guard, his hand out motioning me to give him the sword bag slung across my back. I looked at him for a moment before reaching behind me and unzipping the bag, pulling out the three swords inside, holding them between the fingers of my left hand, before offering the bag to him. An annoyed look came upon his face while a light laughter was heard behind me from Ino.

"What? You requested the bag and I'm letting you see it."

He didn't even bother to answer, just continued to hold out his hand. When I put the bag in his hand he briefly inspected it before throwing it into the dirt.

"Oh, you want to hold my swords. I don't swing that way, man. Only pretty young ladies can hold my sword."

At this more laughter was heard and not just from Ino this time. While the other guards laughed at him the one holding my papers face was turning red, whether from rage or embarrassment I couldn't tell.

"In that case may I see your swords?" Ino asked.

I turned around to face her to find her dismounted with her guards holding the reins of her horse.

"Of course my lady."

With that I held out my left hand, the sheaths tapping each other slightly at the movement. She strode forward and grasped the hilt of the center sword and pulled it from its sheath. The soft blue color of the blade stood out against her platinum blond hair as she held the sword to her face. Suddenly the blade struck out, seemingly of its own accord for the lack of movement on her part. As I watched her slight movement I felt a sense of worry come over me.

'My target is comfortable swinging a sword around and seems quiet competent at protecting herself with one. That's just great.'

"This is a great blade. Are they all of this quality?" She inquired, holding my sword out to me while glancing at the other two in my hand, then the one on my hip, and the one between my legs.

I noticed her wandering eyes and grinned.

"I would like to think so."

She smiled back at me, then turned and mounted her horse.

"Come to the castle with me, I would like to test out your swordsmanship."

I blinked. 'That was a lot easier than expected.' As she passed by on her horse, she held out her hand to me. Grasping her wrist as she grasped mine I pulled myself up onto the horse behind her.

Despite the distance from the outer wall of the city to the castle gate being less than a half mile, it still took us the better part of thirty minutes. As we rode through the city, I couldn't help but think that I could have been at the castle within two minutes of entering the city, and instead I was sitting here being bored out of my wits at the repetitiveness of city life. At first the city looked so different from Konoha, but after a while I started to notice the similarities. Then the whole city started to look all too familiar. The only sight worth looking at was the lithe girl sitting in front of me. I was probably taking advantage of the situation by having my hands wrapped around her waist, but it being my first time on a horse and that being rather obvious to her and her guards she permitted my holding on to her.

After we finally arrived at the castle the guards waved us through with merely a curious glance in my direction. Inside the gates we dismounted and Ino lead her horse to the stables. Having nothing better to do I followed. The stables were much larger than I had expected, being around forty by a hundred yards or so. The inside was set up so that there were pins along the outer two long walls with a five yard walkway separating them from a back to back row of pins that ran down the center of the structure. The center row was bisected multiple times by walkways connecting the two long halls between the outer and inner pins. The hayloft above was set up in and almost negative of the ground floor with open areas above the pins so hay could be pitched right down into the stalls.

"Those swords must have been expensive." She commented off handedly as she brushed down her horse.

"Hm? Oh, I guess so."

"You guess so… did you not buy them?"

"Things are a lot cheaper when you take them from the dead." I flinched right after I said that for I didn't want her to think I was a cold hearted killer. Much to my surprise she burst out laughing, much to the horse's annoyance as Ino stopped the brushing.

"So true, how many of them did you take from cold hands, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Only two, one my dad made for me before he died and I made this one." I said tapping my hip to indicate which one I had made.

"Oh so you're a smith two? A man of many trades you're turning out to be. What else, do you farm?" She laughed finding my claim at smithing incredible.

"Not at all, while I do a little gardening, the plants I want are brown and the weeds are green as I typically am not home for enough to take care of it."

By now we had left the stables and were walking around the south side of the castle. She looked at me out of the side of her eye when I mentioned the garden.

"Do you really?"I nodded, looking around at the castle grounds. Gardens were everywhere, filling the area with a cool, moist feel from the fountains and shade provided by the large trees. "What do you grow?"

"Herbs mostly, a few peppers… stuff."

She stopped as we exited the gardens. Before us lay a dirt yard surrounded by a fence. Off on the north side lay an open sided shed with racks of wooden swords and leather armor. Beside it was another shed with its door open showing racks of plate armor and real, steel swords. In the dirt yard several boys around the age of fifteen were practicing, some with wooden swords, but most held steel in their hands. The ringing of swords ceased as we started towards the yard.

"My Lady, to what do we owe the pleasure of your presence?" asked one. The only thing I could really point out about him was his short stature, being only around 4'8, and a red headband that held his rather long hair back.

"Bring me my gear please."

"Of course, My Lady." He snapped his fingers and one of the boys carrying a wooden sword bolted off to the shed with the door. A minute later he came out carrying a set of armor and a sheath dangling by a green cord.

Together they helped her put on the equipment which surprisingly didn't even take a minute.

"Are you ready, Aio-san?"

"It's Kenchi, and ready for what?"

I really should have seen it coming, after all I had boasted about my swordsmanship, and I had seen her put on armor, but somehow her swinging a sword at me shocked me and what happened next was purely instinctual. As her sword descended on me I brought my left hand around and struck the katana on the side, slapping it off its intended course. As I did so I moved my left foot behind my right, turning my body and moving it out of the way of the blade. While I was doing all that, I also brought my right hand up, the blade that I kept hidden against my underside of my forearm out, stopping the blade right under her left eye, pricking her skin slightly. When her eyes caught up to what I had just done her eyes widened to the point I thought they might fall out of their sockets.

"That was unexpected…" The boy with the headband said. "I've never seen someone beat My Lady in a spar so fast before. Even her sensei can't beat her under a minute anymore."

I lowered my arm, grabbing the blade and resetting it in its sheath.

"That was unexpected." Ino commented. Her eyes shining with fear still.

"That's why it works. No one expects something they can't see. Therefore they die by what they can't foresee."

She contemplated this for a minute before replying. "I guess so, though I wouldn't have said it that way. Are you ready for a real spar now?"

I set down my bag and nodded, pulling out my sword. The white steel shone vibrantly in the sunlight.

"White metal? Where did you get that?"

I looked at her as I assumed my stance.

"If you can beat me, I'll tell you. You, start the match."

The boy jumped, and then nodded, raising his hand.

"Begin."

Ino leapt at me, her eagerness belying her earlier fear, and swung at my neck. I raised my sword as if to block, then pivoted on my right foot, bringing my left around for a roundhouse kick, slamming my heel into her side. Her body was flung like a rag doll off to the side.

"What was that? This is a spar, not a fight!"She shouted at me as she picked herself up out of the dirt.

"If you don't train like how you would fight, then you will be unprepared for a fight when it comes to you, thus rendering all the hours you spent training wasted. Be ready for anything, for anything can happen on the battlefield. Sure samurai might have enough honor not to team up on you, but there hasn't been a large war between samurai clans in decades. The real threat is bandits, who by nature of their profession have no honor and will attack you with anything they can think of. Three on one, more like ten on one, so you must train to fight back against that. Pick four of the best among them." Here I gestured at the boys. "And all five of you come at me at once."

Their eyes widened in surprise when they realized I was serious. Ino then called out to four of them and they surrounded me.

"See, you're already starting to understand. Never let your foe have the upper hand, for they just might use it to kill you."

'Man, why am I lecturing them how to fight? Oh yah, because it's fun to make them look stupid.'

"Begin."

All five rushed me at the same time. I waited until they were close, then ducked and rolled between one's legs. As I got back to my feet I lashed out with my right foot, catching him in the back of his knee, making him fall. Instantly I was beset upon by the other four. Pulling out a knife, I caught one blade with both of the ones I held, using the body positions of the two who's swords connected with my blades to block the other two.

"When you're outnumbered, figure out ways to take out enemies, either by incapitating them, or by using other opponents as body shields."

I exchanged blows with the two while keeping them in between myself and the other three. Suddenly Ino put her hands on the shoulders of one and used him as a spring board to launch herself into the air. He was taken by surprise by the move and looked up to watch her. Having noted her launching power, I knew she had over shot me by a little and didn't worry about it. Instead I rolled forward and put my left fist to the underside of the boy's jaw, giving him flying lessons. I ran forward at the two that stood in shock of the power with which I had just punched their team mate with.

"Always make sure your team mates know what to expect from you. You lose when you are taken by surprise."

I swung my knife in a cross body motion that knocked his blade off to my left. Using the opening I brought my sword around and slammed the hilt into his forehead. He dropped like a stone. I pivoted on my right foot in an attempt to drop the other one. However he put his blade in the way, supporting it at the tip with his off hand, so that my heel struck the flat side of the blade. His sword shattered, shocking us all. We stopped moving and looked at his sword, or what was left of it. I stood loosely, with my sword resting on my shoulder, just outside of my reach from the boy with the broken sword. He looked at me, wonder filling his eyes. I shrugged, not knowing or caring how I had just shattered his katana. I stepped forward with my left foot, slamming it into the ground to put more power into the punch that I landed on his face, sending him flying. I raised my sword to catch Ino's and we stood face to face. She was panting from exertion which surprised me; we hadn't been sparring for long. I could smell her breath as it wisped across my face.

"And now it is back to a one on one. Why does your breath smell like lilacs? Aren't they poisonous?"

"That doesn't matter." She grunted as she attempted to shove me off, however because of my weight far exceeded hers, she stumbled backwards. My next swing knocked her sword out of her grasp.

"How the hell did you get so good?" She asked as she stood there, panting.

I turned slightly so I was at a ninety degree angle to her as I slid my sword home in its sheath.

"You have to be good if you wish to survive the streets without parents."

She frowned when I said this.

"But you said your dad made you a sword. How can you be an orphan?"

"He died with my mother when I was five. He made the sword at my birth, I don't know why. I can't even remember their faces anymore." I looked down and pretended to be sad. Not too hard, all I had to do was to remember the injustices that have been heaped upon me by the ignorant villagers.

My show worked. Shortly I felt her arms wrap around me, as she tried to comfort me.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I too know how it feels to lose a parent."

"You probably know better, it's been so long ago for me. Most of my sorrow stems not from their death, but from the fact that they weren't there to teach me. After all it's hard for a five year old to understand death."

She nodded at this, while she rested her chin on my shoulder. We stood like that for several minutes before a voice interrupted our thoughts.

"Is this the boy I heard rumors about? The one who is on my level? He doesn't look like much… hmm."

I looked over my non occupied shoulder and saw a late middle aged man dressed in grey, green robes and carrying a katana in his left hand. The weight on my right shoulder disappeared.

"Master Kuzo, I didn't expect to see you come to see him yourself. This is Aio Kenchi. Kenchi, this is my sensei and master Kuzo Shi."

I turned in time to see Ino bow to Kuzo and studied him throughout the introductions.

"You seem too old to be a master of the blade anymore." I commented

Ino shot me a look that told me to watch my tongue; meanwhile Shi merely threw back his head and laughed, much to the shock of Ino.

"Maybe I am, but I believe I can still beat you."

With that he blurred in my vision, streaking off to the side.

"Where did sensei go?" Ino asked, her eyes blinking in confusion.

I didn't have time to answer as he decided to attack me right after her inquiry. Our swords clashed in a bell like ringing. I heard Ino gasp when she looked at us.

'When the hell did he pull a wardrobe change?'

Standing on my left with his sword against my own sword, which was pressed up against the back of my bicep to stop his swing, Shi was now wearing loose fitting Kung Fu pants with a simple, sleeveless cotton shirt.

"Hm, your faster than I thought…"

He disappeared again and I took the time to settle into a more comfortable poise. For the next two hours he kept attacking and disappearing after one blow, never allowing me to reciprocate the attack. Ino stood in shock the whole time that, one Kuzo was capable of such speed, two that I was able to defend against his speed, and three we had been at it for two hours. Meanwhile I was getting pissed off that I wasn't allowed to attack. I felt another attack coming and pulled out a gladius that had been modified to allow for a more comfortable reverse grip, and brought it up to intercept his cross-body slash aiming at the left side of my head. After his sword hit my gladius, I swung my sword up and smashed the blade into his just above the cross guard. Had he had a stronger grip, the sword might have shattered, but as it was the hilt left his grasp, and spun through the air. As the hilt neared me I lunged my head forward and caught it between my teeth, while twisting the blade in my right hand to place the tip at his throat.

"So you think your hot stuff because you beaten me once." His voice was cold and distant sounding, as if he wasn't truly paying attention. I sheathed my sword and grasped the one between my teeth and examined it, finding that it was well made blade, I slid it through the belt that held my sheath down on my left hip.

"Had this not been a spar you would have been dead. As it is I'm keeping your sword for attacking me without warning." I turned from him and started walking towards Ino.

"Close your mouth my lady, it's unbecoming of a lady of your statis to look like she's taken by surprise by something. Now will I be staying the night here, or will I have to find accomidations in the city?" I had walked abreast of her and turned my head to look at her when I addressed her. Slowly her mind rebooted after watching the match. She then turned her head to me and said,

"You just might get to sleep with me with that kind of swordsmanship if you think you can match that with your other sword." She glanced down at my crotch as she said this before looking me in the eye.

I turned my head to look at the now setting sun.

'Where did the time go? Whatever.'

"You wouldn't be the first I've had screaming my name at odd hours of the night."

She threw her head back and laughed at my statement, a clear uplifting sound that rang in the yard. As she quieted she put her finger to her lips and looked at me with half shut eyes, her head tilted as if wondering if I was embellishing my claim.

"Then let's go wash, shall we?" She took my hand and guided me deeper into the castle grounds.

* * *

I finished gathering all my belongings, that task having taken longer than expected as Ino had thrown my things everywhere as she undressed me. Taking one last look over my shoulder at the now dead body of Ino, I turned and left the ethereal looking creature in an undisturbed state, her nude body laying out in a relaxed posture, a small smile gracing her lips, looking to all the world as if she were merely asleep.

'Well with the sleeping tab I gave her, she fell into sleep so hard she fell through into death. Time to head home.'

I closed the door behind me and started walking through the deserted corridors. After a minute of walking I reached the formal dining room where, to my surprise, I found not only Kuzo Shi, but also Lord Date, Ino's father, sitting at the table, as if waiting for me, calmly sipping tea.

"You killed her didn't you?" Kuzo stated more than asked, ignoring the wording that he had just given.

"Another job completed." I shrugged as if it didn't matter. "The only question is how many others will be shoved off this mortal coil tonight. Methinks you two will shortly join her in eternal slumber."

Lord Date sighed and spoke up at last.

"I think your blood will be spilled in vengeance tonight. Shi-san, you may use my blade."

"Yes, My Lord." He bowed and got up from the table. Heading over to the north wall he reached up and grabbed the katana that had been hung there who knows how long ago.

"What? Are you such a coward that you can't avenge your own daughter?" I taunted, actually genuinely curious as to why he wasn't fighting me himself.

Again he sighed and sipped from his cup, before speaking, "As a young man I joined my Daiyamo (AN; SP?) in war and one day received a wound that crippled me. He later gave me this castle and land as a 'sorry for your fall from honor' sort of gift. That angered me more than you can know boy for it is a slight at my honor that he can never begin to lessen. Ever sense I have been looking for a way to avenge my slighting. When I found out about the plot to overthrow him I encouraged my daughter to join the cause, subtly of course so she would think that it was her idea. Sense then whenever she would come to me for money or men to perform a certain task to further the cause of rebellion I would give it to her. Even if you didn't come here to kill her for that cause you will never leave here alive. Shi kill the fool."

The whispering of a blade being taken from its sheath filled the room and I turned my attention back to Shi. In his hands was a black katana that had red runes running along its blade.

"Pretty sword, but will it hold up in battle?" I asked unloading my things and setting them against the wall.

"The sword is older than this castle boy. It will be the death of you just as it has been the death of so many others."

I looked once again at the blade, the runes seemed to swirl in my vision and I heard a humming of sorts, seemingly with the sword as its origin.

"Do you two hear anything?" I asked, cocking my head to in an attempt to locate the humming better.

"Death's song." Was the only response I got as Shi attacked. I brought the sword I had taken from him earlier into a cross body guard that took the blow, only for me to watch in shock as the blade broke under the black katana.

"You really carried around a sword that can break so easily for how long?" My confusion evident in my voice.

"This sword is stronger than you could ever know boy. You have other swords with you. Draw one and face your death." Shi spoke, his voice eerily hollow.

I looked at the sword in his hands, its song now clear in my ears if extreamly faint. Nodding I drew my white bastard sword before crossing swords with Shi for the second time that day, this time to the death. Across the whole of the room we danced, as the minutes dragged on our audience grew as castle guards heard the sounds of fighting and rushed to the scene. Eventually Shi broke off, his body sweating profusely and his breath ragged.

"You won't beat him as you are Shi-san, activate the blade's power." The old man said before taking another sip of his tea, his calm unbreakable, despite the fact that I was barely panting, while my opponent was sucking air like a forge's bellows.

"Yes, My Lord." Shi closed his eyes and held the katana up to his face before quieting his breathing. "Sing Amaterasu (1)." He whispered to the blade. It lit up in black flames as I heard its song change to one that felt heavy with sorrow. I didn't even attempt to block this time as he swung. He missed on purpose seeing that I wasn't moving.

"What? Have you given up on life assassin? Or are you trying to slight me by not deeming me worth your attention?" Not getting a response from me, he continued. "Stare death in the eye then and don't flinch from your fate."

He swung again, this time with victory shining in his eyes. For some reason mid swing, the stroke changed direction, aiming for my left shoulder. Victory changed to fear as the blade struck my shoulder and stopped, refusing to cut my skin.

"What was made by a Scydling will never hurt one of the clan. Amaterasu, sing for me! Kill the man that dares defile you by wielding you!"

The black flames burst with new life and swept down the blade and up Shi's arm. I caressed the blade as the screams of the burning man peaked and slowly began to die.

"Amaterasu, I ask if I may wield you or if you wish to be put away." I asked the blade I now held, ignoring the stares of the people surrounding me. My eyes widened as a soft, feminen voice sounded within my mind.

"Of course you may wield me master; I serve your every command My Liege. May my service please you My Lord."

I smiled.

"My name is Eric, Amaterasu. I thank you for your service."

With that I turned to the guards. Their weapons drawn, but fear shone in their eyes now.

"What? Never stared at death before?"

* * *

It wasn't twenty minutes before I was walking down the streets of the city, the aura of death heavy on my person. My clothes were covered in blood splatters and bits of gore. I ignored it in favor of wiping the shining black blade before me, its sheath on my left hip, with my newly named Tsukoyomi (2), on my right. Soon I was out in the forest, running as only ninja can, hurrying to be home.

* * *

(1) Amaterasu, Sun Goddess

(2)Tsukuyomi, Moon Goddess

Thank you Ultima Pheonix for your help with the spellings.

Review please.


	12. Tenth Question

The early morning sun broke over the horizon, piercing the mist that surrounded the tree trunks of the forest. I paused for a minute to rest my weary body. For four days now, I have been running from soldiers under command of some member of the Date clan. Funny thing was that it wasn't until the third day out that castle that they got on my tail. Since then I have been running all over the place trying to lose them and every time I would think I have succeeded in doing so they would show up around the next tree.

I pushed myself off the tree I had been leaning on and continued forward, heading for the sound of running water. Shortly I came upon a brook, that meandered around southwards after coming out of a hole in the cliff face about six feet above the forest floor. I knelt and dipped my hands in the water scrubbing the dirt and dried blood off of them before scooping up some water and drinking it.

"You look like you had a hard time out there. What? Did you decide the real world is too much for you?"

I looked up, startled, and saw Bear, sitting on a rock next to the start of the little stream, a piece of wood in a hand and a carving knife in another.

"Greetings Bear-senpai. What brings you out here? Did you come to save little ol' me? Or did you just come to watch the show."

The sounds of pursuit gradually became louder as the posse found my trail once again.

"That depends. Oh yeah, did you know that you pissed the Date clan off so well that they actually hired a couple of jonins to kill you?"

"Well that would explain why they kept finding my trail so often… sure would have been nice to have known that earlier." I muttered rebelliously.

"Halt murderer! By order of Lord Date, you are to be arrested and brought before the law for trial. Surrender now and your death will be painless, or you can continue and we will make you beg for death. Your choice."

I turned my head to look at them, and sure enough, a Konoha headband was visible at the front of the pack. Next to the jonin was the man who had spoken, a captain, judging by the insignia emblazoned on his shoulder. I turned back to Bear and asked,

"Are you going to help?"

"Might as well, I've got money riding on you in the chunin exams so I can't have you die here." He got down off the rock and put away his carving. Then he blurred out of place and the sounds of slaughter assaulted my ears. I turned to see only half the posse remaining, the jonin off to the side with her arms crossed across her chest, just underneath her breasts, emphasizing them by pulling the shirt closer to her body. As I watched the remaining men at arms formed a circle with their backs to the center, trying to fend off Bear as one after another they would be slain in a rather efficient manner, with the attacker never being seen for more than a split second.

In less than a minute there were only two people standing (I was reclining up against a rock, resting while trying not to dose off); Bear and the jonin.

"Well, looks like I get to go explain to my employer how his men died while I didn't do anything to stop it. Good luck in the chunin exams kid. Oh, and Bear, do you mind putting this on the kid?" As she said this she tossed a medium sized purse at Bear who nodded his understanding before she took to the trees to report the squad's death.

Bear watched her disappear into the branches before turning to me.

"Come on kid, you need to hurry if you wish to make the exam."

Thirty minutes later I found myself walking into a room full of chunin potentials after leaving a shadow clone to write up a report and to be debriefed by Ibiki. The air had a slight taint of killer intent in it but after training under Zabuza I barely noticed it.

"Looks like the Dobe and his whores made it. Let's hope they put up a good fight before they are taken out, shall we?"

The air chilled as a much stronger killing intent made itself known to the populace of the room.

"You want to say that again, Bastard?" Naruto growled out.

Sasuke tried to look nonplused by the ki Naruto was putting out, while Sakura was cowering behind Sasuke. Sai, the third member of team seven was leaning against a pillar, merely glanced over at Naruto, probably knowing that he wasn't involved in this fight.

"What did you not hear me? You know what I said Dobe."

I was right about to laugh at the coward when I was tackled from behind. A soft feminine body pressed itself against my back as Haku cooed in my ear.

"Where did you go that you left me all alone for so long? I was worried about you."

"Sorry, I got a mission that required immediate attention."

The sounds of Naruto's and Sasuke's argument kept getting louder and I was starting to wonder when the punches would be let loose.

"He guys, stop it, it doesn't look good on the rest of us if two of our own can't keep out of a fight. Do try and get along while there are people from other villages present."

Both of them turned and shouted at the interloper.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kabuto. I'm something of an expert at these tests, seeing as this is my seventh time taking it. Over the previous attempts I've gathered info on various people that come to acquire the rank of chunin."

"So you know about the other contestants?" Sakura inquired from behind Sasuke's back.

"Yes, I may not have everything there is to know about a person but I would like to think that I have a good portion of what is known about them. Do you wish to learn about a person or two?" Kabuto smiled, his voice sounded like oil, it was too smooth and practiced sounding to me.

"Gaara, Yugito Ni, Fuu, Naruto Uzumaki, and Eric Scydling." Sasuke spoke out.

"You've got yourself quite a list there, could it be that the last Uchiha is worried?" I quipped.

"Shut up!" he snarled at me before turning back to Kabuto, "Well?"

He pushed up his glasses before pulling out a set of cards and drawing out one.

"First up Gaara of the Sand Village.

Discription; 5'4, red hair, pale skin and the kanji for love written on her (1) forehead; suffers from insomnia; always carries around a large gourd full of sand on her back for the workings of her jutsu.

Taijutsu; n/a

Genjutsu; n/a

Ninjutsu; mid A; because of her unique control over sand she has come to use it for everything, don't believe for an instant that just because she only uses one weapon that she is an easy target, she has more kills under her belt than anyone else here possibly.

Speed; mid C

Strength; low C

Chakra capacity; low B

Chakra control; mid B

Mission report;

5 D  
13 C  
27 B  
2 A

Funny thing, Gaara has never come back from a mission injured, not even a scratch.

Over all rank; low to mid B

Other notes; don't initiate battle for it will likely be your last."

'You didn't mention the fact that she is the jinchuriki of the One-Tail demon. Just what are you hiding to not mention the most important thing about her?'

He drew another card.

"Up next, Yugito Ni of the Hidden Cloud Village."

Discription; 5'6; shoulder length blond hair, blue eyes

Taijutsu; mid B

Genjutsu; D

Ninjutsu; mid B; has an extensive knowledge of lighting and more than enough fire jutsus to make even a seasoned chunin pause before challenging her

Speed; high C

Strength; mid C

Chakra Capacity; mid B

Chakra control; mid C

Mission report;

57 D  
34 C  
15 B  
2 A

Other notes; has a short temper and will likely attack if insulted

Over all rank; high C-low B

Next, Fuu, of the Hidden Waterfall Village.

Description; 5'2; shin length green hair, brown eyes, wears shades of brown

Taijutsu; low C

Genjutsu; n/a

Ninjutsu; low A; has a large repertoire of earth and water jutsus

Speed; mid C

Strength; low B

Chakra capacity; high A

Chakra control; low C

Mission report;

14 D  
23C  
16B

Other notes; there are rumors of Fuu having a slight control of the wood element.

Over all rank; low to high B

Now for Naruto-kun

Discription; 5'5; blond hair, blue eyes; wears an orange and blue jumpsuit; often described as 'Konoha's number one most unpredictable ninja'

Taijutsu; mid B;

Genjutsu; n/a

Ninjutsu; mid to high B; has an extensive knowledge of wind jutsus and has a summon contract with foxes

Fuuinjutsu; mid C

Speed; high C

Strength; low B

Chakra capacity; high A to low S

Chakra control; high C

Mission report;

14 D  
3A

Other notes; was banished for two years because of a prank gone wrong, spent time studying under former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Zabuza Momochi; it wouldn't be suprising, if after attaining the rank of chunin, Naruto would be promoted again to spec junin for knowledge of the wind element

Over all rank; B

Finally Eric,

Discription; 5'10-"

"You giant!" Sakura screeched. I looked at her.

"What's wrong? Haku-chan here tells me that women like big men."

Both Haku and Tenten burst out laughing at my statement, while Sakura turned beat red and started spluttering. Sasuke frowned, catching my jab at him. Kabuto had a small smile on his face as he continued.

"Blond hair, blue eyes; often wears a metal mesh vest and carries around two swords, one of his own creation and one only recently acquired

Taijutsu; low B; prefers to use kenjutsu

Kenjutsu; mid to high A; after two years of training under a former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and current training under the Leaf's current Sword Master, it wouldn't be surprising if he took the title of Sword Master in the next few years."

I frowned at this. No one was supposed to know that I was training under Cat, and she wasn't the public Sword Master either.

"Genjutsu; B; through use of fuuinjutsu

Ninjutsu; A; has a strong set of fire jutsus, a defense oriented set of earth jutsus and uses lightning to control his metal bloodline at range.

Fuuinjutsu; B

"Speed; B; reflexes; high A

Strength; high B

Chakra capacity; low A

Chakra control; low A

Mission report;

8D  
3A

Other notes; has a metal bloodline that makes him almost impervious to straight tai- or ken-jutsu; bloodline primarily used for defense though makes use of it to hide weapons; was banished for two years because of a prank gone wrong, spent time studying under former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Zabuza Momochi; it wouldn't be surprising to see Eric promoted to spec or even full jonin after obtaining the rank of chunin

Bingo Book; Iron Assassin  
rank; A  
bounty; $500K dead

Over all rank; mid to high A with bloodline; without, mid B"

There was silence except for my low whistle.

"Damn, I really pissed them off. Pay up Naruto, I won."

Grumbling Naruto handed over 'Gama-chan' to pay for the bet he lost.

"Wait, why is Naruto-kun paying you?" Tenten asked; confused as to why Naruto would hand over his money for any reason.

"We had a bet over who would be the first one in the Bingo Book, and Eric won. Lucky bastard."

"Oh sure, I'm the lucky bastard. I've now got a room full of enemies who would be more than happy to arrange a 'unfortunate incident' to occur during the course of the exams in order to cash in on the half million in bounty."

I tilted my head as my shadow clone popped out of existence, and a wall of fatigue slammed into me, causing me to almost pass out right there of exhaustion.

'So that's where the tiredness went… damn this sucks.'

"You okay, Eric?" Haku asked supporting me as I slumped from fatigue.

"I'm fine, just tired."

I managed to stand upright again just before Ibiki made his appearance.

"Alright maggots, listen up."

I made a point of not looking at him, and encouraged Naruto to talk with a gesture. He did with a gusto, not that I was actually listening, it was just to piss off Ibiki.

"That means you to brats." This was directed at me and as such I responded.

"Oh, hello Ibiki-sensei. How are you doing today?"

He looked at me a minute than apparently decided that it wasn't worth his time to comment as he ignored me. Yah he kicked our asses when he found out it was us that pranked him, but it 'took too much time out of his schedule' to 'teach us a lesson' as he put it.

"The first part of the Chunin Exams will begin shortly, everyone look at the roster behind me to see were you will be sitting for the test. Once you know where you have been placed enter the room behind me and await further instructions."

With a poof of smoke he disappeared, and the room made a slow shuffle over to the seating roster.

Upon reaching the roster I was surprised to have been placed just on the other side of Hinata from Naruto. Tenten was placed off in the back right corner of the room. After reaching my seat I put my head down and promptly fell asleep, unable to keep my eyes open, and expecting Hinata to awaken me when the test was handed out, after all, she was a kind girl that looked out for the wellbeing of her comrades.

* * *

I was shaken awake by a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, Eric, wake up."

I swatted the hand off my shoulder and resumed my previous sleeping pose.

"Bug off, you little nitwit." I muttered, desiring more sleep.

"Eric if you don't wake up we're forfeiting the exam."

"Says who?"

"Ibiki-sensei."

"Fuck him. Alright I'm awake, happy?" I growled as I raised my head and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

"What the fuck do you want, Ibiki-teme?"

He raised an eyebrow at how I addressed him. "You've got some balls kid. Now, will you take the tenth question?"

I snorted in derision.

"You're really asking me, I have to answer one question in order to pass right? So since I didn't answer any of the other questions I have to take the tenth one."

He looked at me for a second before responding, "You will never be able to take the Chunin Exams again if you fail the tenth question."

'Like a lowly jonin has the authority to do that, not that I'll tell anyone… mind games are so much fun.'

"The Sword Master of Konoha is automatically given at least the rank of spec jonin, so I have no worries about taking the test again as I'll probably take the title before the next test comes around anyway. Besides my teammates came to acquire the rank of chunin, who am I to stop them?"

There was silence in the room as everyone took in my answer.

"Does anyone else want to leave?"

Silence again fell upon the room. After what I had said many people who were questioning the decision to take the question, suddenly were questioning whether they had the right to deny their teammates the ability to proceed, also I had reminded them that there were ways to become a chunin or higher rank without taking the chunin exams. War promotions were the easiest way but as there was no war right now most would end up competing for a rather select, and small in number, of slots for positions like Sword Master of their home village.

I sat looking at Ibiki, waiting for him to proceed with the question, if there even was one. Right now I wasn't so sure there was.

"Well then… congratulations on passing the first part of the Chunin Exams."

I didn't bother to listen to anymore. Smiling, I put my head down on my arms and went back to sleep.

* * *

I was told what happened after that later by Tenten and Naruto.

* * *

After Ibiki's proclamation that everyone who stayed passed many were confused and voiced their questions loudly, forcing Ibibki to explain that the tenth question was really about whether or not one would follow through with the mission, even if there was a strong likely hood that they would die on the mission, or something like that. (They claimed that they were too caught up in the excitement to listen to everything that came out of Ibiki's mouth.) Before Ibiki could finish everything Anko-sensei came bursting through the window with a banner saying introducing her as the sexy, single Anko…

I had no comment for that one of Anko's actions but apparently seeing me asleep pissed her off, she then grabbed me and ordered everyone to follow her. After leading everyone to training ground 44, aka the Forest of Death, she gave instructions as to the second part of the test. It was a survival mission, 5 days in the forest. Our secondary mission was to acquire two scrolls, one 'heaven scroll' and one 'earth scroll.' These scrolls were scattered throughout the forest, and we were to find them with only one hint given at the start of the test. The rest was up to us. Then she told us that there weren't enough scrolls for everyone to pass, her spiel over, she then tossed me inside the fence and declared the second part of the exams started now.

* * *

Your thoughts would be appreciated. Please review.


	13. Chunin Exams continue wait, WHAT!

I awoke to a small figure pressed up to my chest; I kept my eyes closed as I wasn't sure of where I was. She moved slightly and I caught a whiff of lilacs and cedar wood, I grinned when I realized it was Haku. I'd never met another girl who liked the scent of cedar as much as she did. There were probably around fifty pounds of cedar stashed in her dresser so that her clothes will smell like the stuff when she puts it on. I gently kissed her forehead as I reached down to grope her ass, which was covered to the annoyance of the perverted side of me.

_Where am I? _

The sound of a fox scurrying through the underbrush came to my ears, and as I focused the other sounds of a forest became clear. The soft rustling of the wind through the tree boughs, the soft squeak of a mouse being caught by a snake, I started to settle down as it came to me that nothing was out of place. Suddenly soft footsteps could be heard approaching, two of them, one male from his heavier tread and the other female, quietly discussing something, sounding like they were disagreeing from their passionate voices. As they got closer I realized it was Naruto and Sasuke arguing about a desirable course of action in this part of the test.

_Damn, Sasuke walks lightly… why do they have to be so loud?_

I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

"Erik, tell this idiot that it is a good idea to work together in this part of the test." Naruto loudly demanded of me.

"Just because I'll say something doesn't mean he'll listen… Haku's here so where is the rest of Team Gai?"

"Neji and Lee are out grabbing their scrolls. Sakura said she was going to take a bath and Tenten went with her." Sasuke answered airily.

I grunted and got up, grabbing a pair of pants out of my bag and putting them on. Nobody seemed to notice that I was naked except Sasuke who turned away and blushed, which slightly scared me.

"Eric-san, it's great to see that your youthfulness has returned!" Lee announced his return in his favored, loud manner, for which I was thankful as it took my mind of Sasuke's weird reaction.

"It's good to see you too, Lee. How's it going?"

I walked over and clasped forearms with him then turned to Neji and bowed my head.

"Hyuga-san, I trust you're doing well."

He bowed his head in return.

"The same to you, Scydling-san."

I turned back to Naruto and Sasuke.

"Who all is with us currently?

"Team Gai, Team 7, and us." Naruto responded.

I nodded my head and sat down against a tree, thinking.

"Is everyone in favor of working together here?"When those who were awake, except for Sasuke nodded I continued "That makes us almost unstoppable in a fight against these other teams, I'm not too sure how we would fair against the Waterfall team, the Sand siblings, or that Cloud team that has… what's her name… Yugito. In theory we could handle them, but at what cost? So I suggest we grab our scrolls as fast as possible and get to the tower."

"The only problem with that plan is that we already missed two of the scrolls," Neji commented.

I sucked in a breath of air and let it out in a loud sigh, "Then we need to get to the tower even faster."

That raised a few eyebrows.

"Think, the only place that the opponent teams are guaranteed to be at least once is the tower."

"Unless they're eaten by something." Naruto said, the smile on his face belying what he said.

Neji and Sasuke frowned at this.

"Do tell, what out here could take on a team of ninja?" Neji asked.

I looked at Naruto, then back at Neji, shrugged and answered, "Bears, wolves, hopefully Anko-sensei didn't put a scroll in the area by the spiders or we're all in deep shit."

"Did you say spiders?"

I looked over to where the voice came from to see Sakura, her hair's wetness telling of her recent activities.

"Oh, you didn't know about them. Big suckers, usually around three feet high, and if you were to spread out their legs you would measure out about ten feet from the tip of one to the tip of the other." Tenten loudly whispered in her ear.

Sakura paled at this information as did Sasuke . Neji and Lee looked a bit worried.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Eric, Anko-sensei put one by them for us, and I, uh, thought it would be a good idea to get it first."

His voice trailed off to the end so I had to have him repeat what he said three times before I understood what he had said. I put my hands over my face, thinking of all the things that could be said of the ridiculousness of that idea, but voicing none of them. I listened to the noises of the forest and took comfort from the fact that they were still there. Yes we had survived one in counter with the bloody spiders but that wasn't because of our fighting prowess. Had the Queen-Mother decided we were a threat we would have died in minutes, before any help could arrive. I walked over to where Haku still lay and crouched down, gently shaking her shoulder to wake her.

"Hmm?" She half moaned.

"Time to wake up princess."

She nodded, her eyes still closed, brought her arms out of the blanket and stretched before wrapping them around my neck and bringing her face up to mine, kissing me. She let go of me and grabbed her bag, took out her clothes and got dressed beneath the blankets, as she was only wearing a pair of panties before I woke her. I turned around and sat down against a tree, leaning my head back against the tree's trunk, starring up at the forest canopy, the leaves moving back and forth in the wind, dappling the ground with shadows.

"The birds still sing."

Naruto blinked before smiling and loudly voicing his opinion of himself.

"Yah, I'm so amazing that they probably didn't even notice me! Take that you dumb spiders! Ha-ha!"

He turned around and let the bird fly only to come face to face with a young girl who looked to be about the age of eight. A simple semi-opaque dress covered her with a headband of sorts made of the same material that held a single elliptical ruby directly over the center of her forehead, which was made more vibrant by her pale skin, almost white blonde hair and ice blue eyes. She eyed Naruto with disapproving glance, before searching our group, and once her eyes landed on me they adopted a calculating look.

_She's the Queen-to-be huh, that must mean… damn, that's awkward._

"Father." Her voice was cold, but not without emotion, just hidden.

I didn't respond, despite the numerous eyes that now were boring into me trying to understand what had just been said.

"Eric, you and I are going to have a long talk when this part of the exam is over." Haku's voice had assumed much the same tone as the girl's.

"Mother wishes to speak with you. I will lead you to her."

She turned and disappeared into the forest. Standing, I motioned for Haku to come with me and followed the girl as she walked deeper into the forest.

"The rest of you stay here, we will be back soon enough."

Ten-Ten nodded her understanding despite the confusion that clouded her eyes.

* * *

For twenty minutes we followed her in silence, Haku occasionally looked at me, a question in her eyes, but I refused to answer and so the silence remained. As we walked deeper into the forest the sounds of animals slowly faded, until there was utter stillness with only the sounds of the leaves in the wind, and only the sound our footsteps disturbed the silence. I was taken back to the first time I had disturbed the silence of these trees. Anko had given us an assignment shortly after we had made a team with her. Our orders, start at one end of the forest and make it to the other, and our path had taken us through here. The silence was as disturbing to me then as it is now. Luckily for us the Queen-Mother didn't know how to deal with ninja at that time, so as we traveled through the trees, the ground was swarming with spiders, like ants after their nest had just been kicked.

Near twenty minutes later we happened upon a cliff that had a large cave mouth in its side. If you didn't know it was a cliff than it was nearly impossible to tell as the entire cliff face and opening was covered in spider silk, giving it an eerie glow in the moonlight. My daughter walked into the cave without even noticing the larger than normal spiders that surrounded the opening. I followed after a brief hesitation, after all, who wants to walk into a potential enemy's lair. Haku, trusting me followed in as well.

Once inside the cave, I was slightly surprised to find that the silk gathered the light and brought it into the place, making it brighter inside than out. We came to a throne made of stone, its seat empty. I turned and looked at my daughter.

"Where's your mother?"

In answer a pair of arms threw themselves around me from behind.

"Eric-koi, it's so good to see you again." She released me and walked to her throne and sat on it with much flourish. "However it could have been under better circumstances. We have much to discuss you and I, but before we begin who is the female you have brought with you, a slave perhaps to buy redemption for the crimes your friend has committed against us? Hmm? She looks rather tasty."

I smiled, "She is."

Haku looked at me with a rather annoyed expression.

"My lady, I would like to introduce you to my wife, Haku Scylding. Haku this is Haltkyria-lorthnei, Queen-Mother of the Lorthnei clan."

Haku bowed to her while Haltkyria adopted an amused expression.

"My apologies for the slave comment, you must be something special to catch Eric-sama."

"The apology will be accepted when you tell me how my husband had a child with you."

Haltkyria laughed, a bell like sound issuing from her not quite human mouth.

"Before I answer, I shall let you see my true self." She clapped twice and a fire burst into flames on our side, lighting up her non-human features. A second pair of eyes that glittered coal-black on her forehead, as well as a second pair of arms that hung at her side. Her mouth was wide set with mandibles lying against her cheeks, their ends touching the corners of her mouth.

Haku looked at me, with a raised eyebrow.

"Did you kiss her?"

"It was… different."

Haltkyria's laughter chimed out in amusement.

"Come let us have tea." She commanded, leading us off to the side, into another well lit chamber that had a low table set in its center. Sitting down, she clapped her hands and a small cloaked creature scurried over, carrying a tray with a silver tea set on it. After putting the dishes before us, it scurried away, leaving the room.

Haltkria picked up her cup and blew on hit to cool the steaming liquid, before taking a sip of it. Haku, followed her lead, and then noticed that I hadn't taken a drink yet. She elbowed me rather harshly and gave me a reproving glance. I merely held out my hand to the side of the table and the same creature who had served the tea placed a bottle of wine in my hand, of which I poured out a cupful for myself. Taking a mouthful, I nodded my approval.

"I've missed the taste of grapes. Sake's just not as good."

Haku raised her eyebrows at this.

"They ferment grapes?"

I nodded, swallowing the wine before replying.

"Not around here, so it's hard to get but the stuff is damn good."

Suddenly a cup was pushed across the table. I glanced at the hand that held it, and then filled Haltkria's cup.

Haku finished her tea, as quickly as she could and held her cup out to me.

"Just a little."

I shrugged and filled her cup half way before refilling mine.

We drank in silence for five minutes or so, until Haltkria sighed and put down her cup.

"I guess the best answer to your question would be that he impressed me and showed me characteristics that I wanted my child to have."

"I hope you're not talking about his sense of perversion or his drinking skills," Haku replied.

Haltkria's eyes widened and glanced at me. I just shrugged and downed another glass.

"She can say what she wants as she's beaten me in our spars multiple times."

Haltkria's turned her gaze back to Haku, and her eye's showed a new found measure of respect in them. She took another sip, before continuing her answer.

"No, when he fought my servants he showed much insight in battle tactics and how to avoid an unwinnable battle, engaging only when the odds were for them or just slightly against them.

He also traveled to the heart of a clan that I was at war with and destroyed them with some high output technique that utterly ended that clan. After that I was able to absorb the land that the enemy had held and the few remaining servants that weren't at the nest at the time he had destroyed them. I half felt like I owed him something for that, and half felt like he owed me for trespassing on my lands, so I demanded he give me a child."

The room was silent for a few minutes as we continued drinking. Haku was buzzed now, her eyes unable to focus on me while she looked at me, thinking of what Halrkria had uttered. After hearing that I got a feeling that I wanted to be drunk for what was about to come and had abandoned my cup, instead drinking straight from the bottle that the little creature had delivered early when we had halfway finished the last bottle.

"So, what did you call him here for thiss time?" Haku's words were slurred by drink, but she was only borderline drunk.

"To demand payment for his friend's crime of trespassing on my lands," Haltkria answered without hesitation, apparently not very effected by the wine.

"And what are you going to demand from him?"

A pause this time before Haltkria answered, and when she did, her eyes were set on my crotch.

"The same as last time."

Haku stiffened, and got up to sit on my lap, reaching back and wrapping her arms around my head, pulling it forward to engage in a rather heated kiss. When she disengaged from the kiss a trail of saliva connected our lips for a moment before she turned around and hissed at the Queen-Mother,

"Mine!"

She seamed unperturbed by this declaration, merely shrugging and taking another drink of wine.

"Then I guess that all your little friends can die and I'll hold you here as my toys."

Haku looked startled, turning her head she whispered into my ear,

"She can't do that, can she?"

"If she so desires she could potentially wipe Konoha off the map Haku."

Haku looked back at her with a very pissed off expression.

"You already have a child of his, why do you demand another?"

Haltkria assumed a very solemn expression as she replied.

"War looms on the horizon and all will be ensnarled in its bloody embrace. I must give my clan all I can before I die, and I fully intend to do so."

Haku was quiet for a moment, then got up off my lap and walked around the table to stand behind Haltkria, her arms crossed.

"You demand a child from my husband, fine you can have another one, but I'm going to have some fun too."

Her arms uncrossed and grabbed Haltkria's hair, dragging it back only to kiss her. My eyes widened as I watch Haku then reach down inside her dress and rip it apart to expose her breasts before roughly grabbing them. I looked down at the bottle in my hand, and then looked back at where Haku was molesting Haltkria. Shrugging I drained the bottle before getting up and joining them.

* * *

It was morning before we left the cave, leaving a very content Haltkria still sleeping inside. We silently walked back with my daughter leading the way. Frei was her name, a rather short name considering the norm for the spider clans, but hey, it was a lot simpler to pronounce than Haltkria-Lorthnei.

I glanced at Haku, her eyes half closed with sleep still. I smiled and swiftly swept her off her feet, holding her bridal style, her feet on my left. A soft 'eep' was the only protest before she curled up against my chest. The crunching of leaves was the only sound that disturbed the perpetual silence of these trees.

"Did you like the show?"

I was rather startled by the question. Not as startled as actually being given such a show, but startled nonetheless.

"It was extremely erotic to watch," I carefully answered, not wanting to piss her off.

She reached up to cup my cheek in her hand only to pick her head up and kiss me.

"Do you want to see it again?"

I was totally blindsided by this question and searched for a way to say yes without saying yes. I finally settled on,

"I certainly wouldn't say no to another show if you so desired to give it to me."

"Hmm… I'll think about it."

My dick went hard on hearing that and try as I might I couldn't get it down until Haku's voice invaded my thoughts.

"You called me your wife, but I don't recall you ever asking me to be your wife…"

I paled and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Would you do me the pleasure of being my wife?"

I was half expecting her to beat the shit out of me for claiming her before asking her consent so when she answered as she did I felt off kilter, as I didn't know what to think of the beautiful woman in my arms anymore.

"I want one damn pretty ring for an apology."

Luckily for me I had bought one with the money that selling a couple of blades at the Iron Talon had brought me.

"In my right front pocket." I whispered as I nuzzled her hair.

Her hand slipped into my pocket and she took the opportunity to grab my dick before she pulled out the ring. When she saw it she gasped. Two inter forged gold bands were connected at one place by a sliver snowflake that had small diamonds surrounding it, each one having a snowflake carved into the surface of them.

"How did you afford a custom piece like this?"

I smiled at her reaction, her gaze locked onto the ring, awe in her eyes.

"I was traveling through the merchant's quarter when I realized I was passing a jewelry maker. I stopped and saw that set on a necklace. Deciding it was time to give you a ring I asked her how much it would take to set the snowflake on a ring. She looked at me and smiled, 'Get someone special something pretty?' she asked and when I nodded she chuckled and said, 'Come by tomorrow and I'll have it done.' I went and asked Tenten's dad for a loan that afternoon, and when I told him what the money was for he laughed before going into the back room to get some money, and after handing me five times the amount I had asked for, telling me to "give her something fine. A few of the weapons you made sold and this is the amount that goes to you, for being the smith that forged such fine weapons."

Haku looked at me before sliding the ring on her finger.

"Somehow, I don't believe that was all he said," was her only comment as she studied the new adornment on her finger.

"He also spent the next five minutes stating how jealous he was of my bloodline and how it eradicated the traditions of master and apprentice."

She laughed at that and snuggled against my chest as we continued through the forest.

We were nearing the edge of Haltkria's lands when I felt a sudden spike of Naruto's chakra.

"The hell was that?" Haku asked confused as to why he would let loose so much chakra at once.

Several more flares happened in quick succession, answering the question; our friends had been attacked.

* * *

Enjoy, and don't forget to review!


	14. Chosen

We were running, not that I remembered setting Haku down, but we were running to the battle. It took us almost a minute before we got to where the sounds of fighting could reach us, even though we were running all out. Maybe if we weren't running at such speeds the incident wouldn't have happened.

Right before we reached the fight, a tree in front of us exploded, sending large splinters, some the size of my forearm, flying, shredding all in the spray. One was going to hit Haku, so I jumped at her, grabbing her and putting her behind my body, calling on the iron in my body to make a shield on my back. The wooden spear tore through the iron as if it were paper, ripping into my body and tearing me away from Haku before exiting my body, throwing me to the side. I rolled to a stop, maybe 15 yards away from where I had been hit, wondering why I didn't feel any pain. I had closed my eyes at the impact and when I opened them I didn't see the forest.

Nothing. Blackness stretched out before me, beside me, under my body was more of the blackness; solid blackness. I stood hurriedly.

Where am I?

I spun around and spied a figure in the distance, slowly walking in my direction, a woman. Where she was walking from I couldn't tell as more of the blackness stretched out behind her. It took her an eternity to get closer, and yet it felt as though her travel was instantaneous. Slowly I could discern more of her garb. Blue. That was what I saw first. Blue armor covered her chest, accented with gold designs along the edges of the steel plates. Silver hair flowed down her back in a long braid that reached her feet, true silver, not that white-grey of Kakashi's. A white battle skirt swirled around her legs as she walked made of at least two pieces of cloth, but more likely four. One on each hip, divided in the front and back to allow full leg motion, with a drape hanging behind the meeting of those first two to hide her modesty, and one in the back to do the same. A sword hung at her left hip, sheathed in more of the blue metal of her armor.

She stopped right in front of me, and I started, wondering when she had approached so close.

"Have you seen anyone with a marking here?"

Her words invaded my mind as much as entered my ears. Soft but had a steal will that demanded obedience.

"What kind of mark?"

What possessed me to say that? I could tell that this woman was dangerous and until I figured out where I was and how to get back to my friends – and now family- I didn't want to do something as risky as fight.

"I don't know." I looked at her with a frown at this. "I was merely told I would know it when I saw it. Well, have a good day."

She walked past me, and I stood still, thinking how odd her task was to be searching for something you didn't have even the slightest idea what it looked like.

I turned around and called after her.

"Wait! Where am I?"

She looked back over her shoulder and answered.

"You are between the dimensions, at the door and meeting place of all worlds."

I sat down to think, watching her retreating back until it disappeared in the blackness that surrounded me. Just as I made up my mind that she was the only one who could help me get out of the place where I was, and that I would have to help her find this marked person I heard her voice behind me.

"You wouldn't happen to have a marking, would you?"

I started, whipping my head around to look at her, before looking back in the direction she had disappeared in. I slowly stood and faced her, noting that she stood there calmly, as if she had all the time in the world, or maybe, there was no time here, as that would explain her approach from behind.

I looked at her, our eyes met, locked in a silent contest. Not really a contest of wills, but a contest of… something… something I can't name. I brushed my left wrist, ending the flow of chakra to the seal that engulfs my arm in a genjutsu when activated, revealing the dragon summoning tattoo. Her eyes widened as she looked at it, before looking back at my eyes.

"Come," a simple demand, made while holding out her hand to me. "I must take you somewhere."

"But I must be somewhere and I highly doubt we are talking about the same place."

"If you ever wish to return to your previous life, you must first come with me."

A threat, maybe not intentional, but there; a condition that I didn't want to fulfill was being thrust upon me. I hesitantly took her hand.

* * *

Bright sunlight poured in though the balcony, almost as if showing the wind where it must take its balmy breezes. The beams of sunlight fell upon a bed, richly adorned with many time consuming carvings, and silks draped across it. A woman lay there, a light dress of white cotton covering her, her light brown hair spread out in a three foot halo around her head except for a few strands she was idly twirling around a finger. I had stood there a long moment before she sat up, and looked at me, judging me. She stood up and reached over her head as if stretching, when her dress dissolved, showing me her flawless body, before a long, flowing dress of emerald green covered her.

"So you are our new summoner." She walked around me, studying me as a potential buyer would a horse.

Wait 'our summoner?' She's a dragon?

She stopped in front of me and put her arms around my neck, noting, while she did so, my confusion.

"What, did you misunderstand me?"

"You can change your shape?"

What a lame question with such an obvious answer. Today my eloquence had left me.

She quirked up an eyebrow at this.

"Well at least he's somewhat intelligent."

I didn't know what to make of this. From my frame of reference, the only one that could say I was 'somewhat intelligent' was Shikamaru, so her use of that phrase in reference to me made me feel slighted.

She let go of me and walked over to the door, that exited to a hallway I presumed, as she said something that I couldn't make out, and upon receiving a, for me barely heard, response, she turned and walked out onto the balcony, motioning for me to accompany her.

The bright sunlight blinded me for a moment, but when they got used to the intense light the sight that lay before me took my breath away. Below us was a town, with enough wealth to cover the fronts of all the buildings lining the main thoroughfare with white marble, the main road, itself was paved with black granite. Seven white marble fountains were evenly placed down the road, from one right at the outer wall's gate to the gates that lead to the path up the mountain to the palace, as what I believed the structure I was now in to be. Beyond the city lay fertile fields, lush and green in the sunlight, with dark green forests stretching out through the valley on up the mountainsides. A single road, paved in a white rock I couldn't identify, ran straight as an arrow, down the valley and out of sight in the distance.

"We were once the dominate life here, shortly after we were exiled here, on this earth." She spoke calmly but I could hear a distant longing in her voice. "But man, little insignificant man, learned that he could create things with his hands. Fire; a recreation of our own power, was his first major achievement, followed by copper weapons and tools. And as time progressed, what he made became greater and more useful to a larger number of peoples, until they began creating cities, and creating more and wondrous things. It was then that some of our kind took upon themselves the vestige of man, to walk among men and learn of their ways. Ever sense then, we have lost ground to them. If they desired a land we had, they would send thousands to kill us, and take it. We were never a populous race, with our longevity, mating was never a necessity like it is with man, for the continuation of the species, and our incessant infighting for better hunting grounds. Eventually we were, for the most part, made to live among man, though a few of us, like my grandmother, were able to create kingdoms like this one, where dragons lived among man's rulers, as councilors or sometimes even lovers or rulers themselves. But most of the dragons of old are dead or hiding in the skin of man, and those few who don't live hard lives on the fringes of habitable lands."

She looked at me then, again examining me.

"You were chosen to prove that we can live with the other tribes and the men of our old home; given our summoning contract as a sign of faith in you, as you were the first one of our blood to be born there in more than millennia."

"What do you mean, 'our blood?'" my face scrunched up in confusion.

"Your mother was a human, a woman of skill and strength, but your father was a dragon, a fallen dragon to be sure, but a dragon nonetheless. I don't know the exact happenings that lead to your birth but of your heritage I am sure."

I looked at her, my heart longing for the information she claimed to have of my family.

"Who were they?" Three simply words, but they held so much meaning when put together in such a fashion. She must have felt my want, to know my family.

"Your mother was the offspring of a political marriage, the fourteenth such one, to ensure the lasting peace between two clans that once almost whiped each other off the face of the earth. The Scylding clan, born of ice and iron; and the Uzumaki clan, famed and feared for their impressive knowledge of the sealing arts. Kushina was her name.

The Uzumaki carried a bloodline that was powerful against dragons and as such they were sought after by the Hidden Leaf Village to be their jinchuriki, their 'demon containers.' She was the second such container for the fallen dragon they call the Kyuubi. Somehow, your father, the 'demon' that she held, impregnated her."

There was silence, broken only by the faint roar of the bustling city that lay below us. Eventually she left the balcony to go back inside, but I stayed there, my hands resting on the railing, holding myself up. So wrapped up in my thoughts, I didn't notice her leaving or her return until she placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Eric." I turned around, still half lost in thought, only taken out by the sight of another woman… a girl really. She looked no more than sixteen and stood about an inch shorter than the woman that had been talking to me. She spoke again.

"Because of the high energy cost of traveling between dimensions we are going to send one of our own with you, so that you will have someone to call on when times get hard; a teacher, comrade, and a friend preferably. My daughter was selected. Now, if you will, hold hands."

Her hands were small in my own, and were smooth and soft, so unlike my own, which were scared and roughed up with calluses or in the case of my right hand, a chunk of iron, made to do my will by my chakra. Suddenly a seal lit up on the ground around us and the girl's hair flew up, as if blown by a wind. She started becoming ethereal, and slow faded from sight. Neither acted like anything was wrong so I made no action despite the sense of unease I felt.

The seal disappeared and in my hand was a crystal, about the size of my index finger and a deep blue in color, set on a gold chain. The crystal emanated a power, and when I tried to contact it like I did for Amaterasu, I felt her response, not in words, but in an idea, a thought.

"Go now, and know that the dragon clan wishes you to greatness, and will be watching over you."

With that the world disappeared and the blackness was back. Before me stood the woman in blue armor with a faint smile on her face; she held out her hand, and after putting the crystal's chain around my neck I took her hand.

I lay on the forest floor, my body in pain, but not like what it should be in for the wound I had just received. A voice slipped into my mind, the girl spoke to me, and her voice had words this time.

_I've done the best I could to heal your body but the injury is still sever, strenuous motion will completely undo what I have done._

Almost immediately another voice entered my head.

_Master? You're alive! You fell and I couldn't reach your thoughts and then your heart stopped. But you're alive!_

Amaterasu's voice suddenly stopped as she realized that there was another person in 'her' space. Almost immediately I felt hatred flare between the two of them.

"Girls this isn't the time for that, I need your help to save my friends. I'm sorry I'm about to undo your work girl."

The feeling of hatred died down and settled into a calm state that spoke of barely constrained tension. Weather they were going to attack each other or if they were merely preparing for the fight that lay before me I couldn't tell, not that I had time to question them. I stood, and gasped in pain, lancing into my back. Soothing coolness suddenly spread, taking away my pain.

_My name is Lenneth._

I nodded, accepting the reprimand but my course was set.

"Let's go."

I sprang forward, noting with surprise my increased speed. Almost before I knew it I stood before the man who attacked Naruto. Surprise was etched into his face as he stepped back away from me before a smirk fell onto his lips.

"So the last of the Scylding clan stands before me, I think I'll take you too."

He lashed out with his sword, trying to take me out without damaging my body badly. His movements felt so slow, and almost lazily I deflected his attack, returning to the same poise as before I moved. My head down, so neither of us could see the other's eyes, my gaze rested on his chest, watching the muscles flex at his command, telling me where he would attack. He frowned as his attack went awry, and he swung again, and I again lazily deflected his attack. That continued for almost a minute as his face showed more and more confusion.

"Why the hell can't I hit you!"

His voice shook with anger, and spittle flew from his lips. His eyes flared wide as he swung again, trying to see what I was doing. It was then, that I realized that I had changed in body. I was faster, stronger, but my body didn't feel any different, there was no awkwardness that comes with sudden change. I decided that this had gone on long enough and I lashed out. He saw this movement and with a fearful face, brought up his sword to block. He was too slow, and I slashed off his fingers, breaking his hold on his sword, before lashing out at his face, striking his left cheek, and gashing him across the bridge of his nose and up onto the right side of his forehead. With a poof, he disappeared. I cast my mind out, reaching for his presence, and not finding it, let the tension leave my body, only to find myself face down in the dirt. Voices raced over me, and I recognized none of them, my head felt fuzzy and radiated pain every time my heart beat, my whole body felt like it was on fire. I closed my eyes and let the darkness consume me.

All too soon I awoke to voices calling my name, telling me I have to wake up and walk. I managed to do so, but immediately after the proctors left I collapsed, and Naruto and Haku caught me before I hit the floor and taking me to a room where I blacked out again. I woke multiple times the next few days, dizzy and disoriented. I couldn't get medical attention if I wanted to stay in the exam, so I lay in bed tended by Haku and Tenten, who in shifts sat by my bedside, attending to my fevered form. I slowly got better and by the end of the week I was well enough to walk around, even if they didn't want me to. But there was no choice; the contestants that were left were to appear in the assembly hall. I felt weak as I stood with the others before a large statue of two hands, together making the ram sign. The head proctor spoke to us, but I only hear splotches of his words, vaguely noticing that he coughed almost every sentence. I felt a hand drag me to the side and I followed it. I was told to watch the screens that were on the wall over the stone hands and I did, watching with dull eyes as names flickered by on the screens. They settled on my name and that of another, Susuki Uzumaki.

* * *

I'd like to thank lucyxnatsu-written for being a sounding board and Beta for my work.

I'd also like to thank you my readers for your continued interest in my writing, without which, I wouldn't have made it so far into this story.

Now in the interest in improving my writing, I ask all of you to review!


	15. Prelims

As I turned to walk down to the floor, I felt an object being pressed into my hand.

"A swordsman's reward for defeating their opponent…" Haku whispered into my ear.

I grasped the hilt of the sword; I knew what it was, Kusanagi, the sword of the traitor Orochimaru. I smirked, not any longer, Kusanagi was my sword now!

I stumbled as I got to the bottom of the stairs, slamming my shoulder into the wall.

Fuck, I'm in no shape to fight… damn, I guess I'd better lighten up.

I took off the metal vest, noting as I did the hole that now occupied the larger part of the back. I dropped it, and placed Tsukoyomi against the wall. I then shucked my boots and the majority of the iron I held in my body.

I stopped walking when I got to the spot directly across from her, with the proctor Hayate Gekkou, standing right in between us. He stepped back and then looked back and forth between us, and opened his mouth to speak only to close it as he saw me moving. I held my arms out slightly, crossing them at the wrist and slightly flexed my arms, calling forth a pair of gauntlets from the little iron that remained in my body. When they were formed I nodded to Hayate, answering his unasked question. He then looked at my opponent, who nodded as well. He stepped back further and raised a hand, then dropped it crying out.

"Begin!"

Neither one of us moved, much to the disappointment of the other Genin in the stands. I saw her tense up as she reached for her sword, a nondescript katana, but when she put her right hand on the hilt she stopped moving again. I looked up at the ceiling for a moment before looking down at her.

"If you're going to turn this into a waiting game then I'm going to win."

I taunted as she snarled at me before lunging, swinging her blade so fast that I barely caught a glimpse of it. I held up my arms to create a box that she couldn't pierce, and thus stopped her move, for the price of six scratches on my gauntlets and one on my left shoulder.

"That all you got?"

I was jeering at her as she did the same move again, but this time there was no visible marking to testify the effort put into the move. I put down my arms, holding my left hand next to my waist, putting Kusanagi next to Ameratsu before moving my right hand down to the hilt of the blades. I stood there, my body slightly turned to the left, putting my right shoulder facing her, waiting for her next move.

"So you're finally going to up the level huh? I'd guess I had better do the same then."

She adopted the same pose I was in, grasping the hilt of her sword in her right hand with the left hand loosely holding the sheath. I focused, calling on both Ameratsu and Freya to help me; I felt the flood of their chakra enter my body just as she moved. I blocked everything, but she still won that slight clash as I felt blood starting to enter my left lung.

_Fucking injury…_

I knew I wasn't in good enough shape to attack and my body was bad enough that she wouldn't have to do much more than what she was doing to win if I didn't get a good counter in on her next attack.

She started to circle me to the right, placing her right arm on the inside of the circle she was creating. I followed her movements, walking left, making the other half of the circle. She darted in, crossing blades with me again and I swiped at her, failing to do more than put a slight tear in her clothing. An uncontrollable urge to cough filled me, and red spittle flew from my mouth. I didn't even bother to wipe away the blood now trailing down from my lips or the blood now trailing down my back as I had reopened that wound as well. She frowned at me, noticing the blood.

"You stand before me wounded in another battle?"

I grunted an affirmative before spitting out a wad of bloody spittle.

"Not like you get a choice what your condition in a fight is when you're in a war."

Her face scrunched up more, before moving in for another attack. I missed a couple of her blows, and a series of cuts opened up on my legs, at the cost of taking a large cut across her chest.

_The fuck is wrong with me! Why can't I get to that state I was in when I fought Orochimaru?_

Another clash, and another set of cuts for both of us. The circling continued.

"What kind of swordsman takes a blow like that to his back?"

I stiffened at the insult before firing right back.

"What kind of woman exposes herself in public?"

As if on cue, the cloth of her shirt around her right breast fell away from the cuts I had made on her chest, the creamy colored skin set off with the rivulets of red flowing downward from the wounds. She squealed as she hurriedly placed her left hand over her breast.

"Nice rack."

She looked at me with a blazing fire in her eyes, and I knew she desired to see the end of me.

"You bastard!"

I shrugged, barely raising my sword in time to block the next series of blows. Her movements were awkward now as she was used to using her left arm as a counter weight to her sword movements. I felt myself hit my limit anyway and as soon as she withdrew from that engagement I fell to my knees, spraying the floor with blood from my lung. I dabbed my fingers in the blood and ran through a string of hand signs, placing my hands on the floor and shouting,

"Iron Sentinel Jutsu!"

Three roughly humanoid forms of iron rose out of the ground, one's sword laying with its dull side against my back, blocking a decapitation blow. She swiftly disengaged and jumped away from me and the sentinels, and at my digression one of them moved forward to engage her. For almost a half-minute she was busy with the sentinel, before decapitating it, ending the flow of chakra through it.

She eyed me wearily, constantly switching her attention between the two remaining sentinels and myself. I made a seal on the floor with my blood, she tensed as she felt the chakra flaring signaling the activation of a jutsu.

"Spirit Summoning Jutsu." Barely more than a whisper, the words left my mouth and as they did more than just my chakra swept through my body, the human form of Freya appeared behind me, where she placed her hands on my back and started healing me. I felt the blood leaving my lung and the wound closing again, hopefully stronger tissue now holding it closed.

Sasuki noticed that Freya was healing me and leapt to attack only to be intercepted by the sentinels, which I controlled directly having them work in perfect tandem with each other keeping her away from me. Shortly I felt Freya's hand on my shoulder.

"That's all I can do master."

I nodded and dismissed her with a wave before standing up only to witness an extraordinary move from Sasuki. Pieces of iron rained down around both of us as she panted from the exertion of that last move.

"You want to know how I got that wound on my back? Well, I'll tell you. I got it protecting the girl I love. Now it's time for you to quit the field before you get seriously hurt."

She snarled at me and I shrugged in response. I then leapt forward and engaged her, the skin on my back tearing slightly. This time we didn't disengage after three or four blows, but kept after each other for a long string of strikes, neither one of us getting a large enough advantage to chance being punished for a fuck up. My speed wasn't as good as hers, but my skill kept the vast majority from landing, meanwhile her flexibility kept my blade from landing on her for the most part. It was somewhat distracting to see a beautiful girl like her moving her body in the ways that she did…

I was starting to get mad that this girl was threatening to stop me from going to the finals, and it showed in my attacks, as I now swung with vicious strength that threatened to break her sword with every strike. Eventually she jumped backwards, getting away from me. I merely stood still, trying to keep my body from showing that it was on the verge of collapsing, the wound having reopened on my back, thankfully my lung was holding up though.

I looked up at the ceiling again, eliciting an annoyed noise from her.

_Fuck this._

I gave into the rage that had filled my being from the start of this fight. I jumped into the bloodlust of my family eagerly, and as it filled my mind I ruthlessly attacked, scoring hit after hit on her, my body not registering any hits on it because of the battle rage. After about a minute I pulled a series of moves that left her defenseless as I moved in for a killing move, only for it to be caught by an older version of the girl I was fighting. For some reason my battle rage left me when my sword touched her flesh, even though it drew no blood.

"What do you think you are doing?" I snarled at her, the toll on my body catching up with me.

"Saving your life!"

"What? He was whooping her ass then you say you are saving his ass? The hell do you think you are talking about?" Naruto responded for me, expressing my own sentiments.

"I'll talk to you later." That was all she told me before releasing my sword. "Proctor-san, this fight is over."

He looked surprised for a moment before calling the match over, stating that the results will be decided later. I wasn't pleased by the announcement but I couldn't fight any longer. My body was threating to collapse from underneath me.

When the medical staff brought out a pair of stretchers I quietly laid down on one and let them take me off to the medical bay. They put me under for some extensive surgery but afterwards they left me alone in a room that had the other occupant curtained off from my view, after closing the curtain around my bed. I dozed off for a while before I felt Haku's hand take mine and squeezed it softly. I pulled on her hand until I managed to pull her down onto the bed; at that point she got under the covers and lay with me, as again I dozed off.

The next time I awoke it was because the curtain had been pulled back in such a manner as to cause a lot of noise and I blinked sleepily at the woman who had interrupted my fight who was looking at Haku with an intense expression. I wearily told her to fuck off before burying my face between Haku's breasts. Haku then put her arms around my head, holding me close.

"Who's she?" The woman's voice was soft, but edged with anger.

"My wife. Now who the fuck are you?" My anger from earlier was back and I wanted nothing to do with her.

There was a pause before she answered.

"My name is Kushina Uzumaki, you fought with my cousin earlier." The way she said it made it sound like that was supposed to answer everything.

Her name made me pause and look at her.

_So you are my mother… you look nothing like what I imagined, but then again I never did bother looking up a picture of you…_

"So... what do you want with me?"

"You do know what happened right?"

"Yeah. I was kicking your cousin's ass before you interrupted me, giving me some bullshit reason that you were saving my life."

She looked at me in shock.

"You really don't know what happened do you?" It was less of a question and more of a statement. She shook her head and pulled back the other curtain.

"Susuki, you explain it to him."

The girl who was laying in the other bed blushed bright at the instruction.

"Have you heard of a bonded pair right?"

I blinked suddenly remembering a section on that in one of the scrolls that I had gotten from the ruins of Whirlpool. As I remembered more information my eyes widened recognizing the implications of what Kushina had said.

"You've got to be kidding me."

I sat up in the hospital bed, exposing my bandaged chest to them, and looked them in the face. Kushina had a very serious expression on her face. Susuki had a heavy blush on her face and refused to look me in the eye.

"What's the matter?" Haku sat up next to me and put her arm around my shoulders.

"The scrolls described the relationship of a bonded Uzumaki-Schylding pair as more intimate than a married couple's..."

Haku raised an eyebrow at this before bursting out laughing. I couldn't help but wonder if I had ever truly known her.

"Sounds like fun."

Kushina's eyes widened in surprise, all the while Susuki stared at Haku in surprise. The room was filled with silence so thick I felt one might need a knife to cut it.

"So you are okay with us finishing the bonding ritual?" Kushina was the first to break the silence.

"Yes."

Several expressions of surprise flitted across Kushina's and Susuki's faces.

"Very well, Susuki, take off your clothes and lay on your front."

Her face lit up like Hinata's does some times as she stood up, and did as Kushina instructed, I looked down at Haku with confusion in my eyes. She looked down with a sad expression on her face.

"I'll talk to you later…"

She refused to say anything else. So I gave up on it, knowing that she wouldn't say anything unless she wanted to.

"Eric-san, if you would come over here."

I did so and was handed a design drawn on a piece of paper.

"Make this design on her back with your blood."

That caused me to look at Kushina out of the corner of my eyes before taking out a knife and cutting deep into my left palm, using it as an ink pot, dipping my finger in the pool of blood and using it to draw on her back. I found it very amusing all the times she squeaked from my fingers on her back, though I found it slightly startling when she moaned, which happened when I got to her butt.

"Ah, is his touch turning you one?" Haku giggled at her. No one responded verbally but Kushina shot Haku a look.

I finished up and took one final look comparing the design I had drawn in my blood and the design on the paper and turned to Kushina.

"Finished." She nodded, accepting my work.

"Now she will do the same to you."

Susuki got up and motioned for me to take the place that she had just lain in and after taking off my clothes I lied down and shortly felt her blood being used to draw the design on my back. It took her a while longer than I had taken, I don't know if it was because of a lack of experience in drawing seals or if she really was turned on by me and was just trying to feel me up longer. After all, she did grab my butt a couple of times.

After a while she stopped and had Kushina examine the design who nodded in approval.

"Get up and stand back to back with her, and hold hands."

When we had done so she continued.

"Now concentrate and mix your chakras."

I blinked and looked at her and was surprised to see a straight look on her face.

I closed my eyes and concentrated, feeling my chakra and memorizing it, then started pushing it out, radiating it around me. When I felt her do the same I concentrated on where our chakras met. I at first tried to push my chakra into hers only to find it like pushing to magnets together north pole to north pole. I pulled back my chakra and felt hers take the spot that I had left, and it felt as if her chakra was searching for something. I hesitated for a minute, before slowly getting my chakra close until our chakras where touching. I could feel her chakra and after a while I started noticing subtle differences in our chakra, and I suddenly got the idea that everyone's chakra was as different as their fingerprint. I studied her chakra and learned the nuances of it and felt as if I was being watched while I did so. After a while I took my chakra and - I guess tuned it would be the best term- to hers and was slightly surprised when she started changing her chakra to make it more like mine. As our chakras started to mix I felt a slight tingling in the back of my head, it was if I could slightly tell her thoughts, not that they weren't that hard to imagine as she was in as much shock as I was about this chakra mixing idea, but hey, it's working. Eventually our chakras melded together and looked like one and I suddenly got this … thought… from her about her desires…

I broke the contact and pulled away from her, not even looking at her as I got dressed, not bothering to check and see if Kushina approved of what we had done.

"Well now, that was fast."

I glanced up at her when Kushina said that, but then looked back down as I finished dressing and then laid back down into my hospital bed with Haku, curling up to her side.

Kushina looked down in disapproval but she didn't voice it, but as she left the room she stopped in the doorway and put her hand on the frame, looking back at me.

"You two are irrevocably linked now, never forget that."

Then she left leaving us as we were when she got here except that Susuki was sitting on her bed naked still. She sat there a moment looking down at the floor, before looking at us, which I noticed as I had turned to lie on my back once Kushina had left the room.

"Can I join you?" Her voice was soft and embarrassed, but it held a note of stubbornness as well.

"Yes."

Haku voiced her opinion before I could and Susuki wasted no time in getting over to our bed and getting under the covers on the other side of me from Haku, pressing herself up to my side. We lay there a while before I turned and faced Haku, who looked back at me.

"Why? Why do you share me with other women?"

She looked up at the ceiling for a moment before looking back at me and wrapping me in a hug, whispering into my ear.

"Because, I had a dream that I will die soon…"

* * *

First of all, I would like to thank Girl-in-the-tiger-kimono for editing my work.

Second of all, I am encouraging all of you readers to review.


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